


Beneath These Calm Waters

by PizzaNSunshine



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Calamity (Legend of Zelda), acquaintances to enemies to friends to lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:34:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 51,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28095483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PizzaNSunshine/pseuds/PizzaNSunshine
Summary: Link is just a teenage boy like any other, at least that’s what he would tell you if you asked him. Zelda is just a teenage girl who happens to be a princess with a destiny outside her control. What happens when fate brings them together, the future of their world resting upon their shoulders?
Relationships: Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 44
Kudos: 98





	1. An Unexpected Turn of Events

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is my take on the pre calamity Zelink dynamic. It will loosely follow the memories from BOTW with a bunch of fun additions (I hope you like tropes...because I love them all!). Also, after playing through AOC, there were a few things I wanted to incorporate, to include the idea of Zelda and Link starting off as pleasant acquaintances with hints of mutual attraction and Link finding the master sword changing everything. 
> 
> So if you came here looking for that sweet sweet enemies (for lack of a better term) to lovers dynamic, please bear with me for a few chapters. I promise, it's coming!
> 
> Also, according to my outline, I've currently got 27 chapters planned, as reflected in the fic notes. However, that is subject to change dependent on how things go as I write.

Hyrule. Considered by many to be a jewel among kingdoms, as was only natural for one so beloved by the goddess Hylia herself. It was a land of many splendors from the snow capped peaks of the Hebra Mountains to the arid to the golden sands of the Gerudo Desert to the sparkling waterfalls of Zora's Domain.

The Breach of Demise was admittedly not the most picturesque spot in all of Hyrule, though it did possess an austere sort of beauty of its own. Harsh walls of craggy stone towered on either side of the pass, casting the trail in shadow and leaving all but the most seasoned travelers struggling to reconcile their internal sense of direction. In spite of the natural shade, the air was uncomfortably thick and warm, though blessedly not stagnant.

Fine dust, stirred up by the light breeze whistling through the breach left a layer of grit over the shining plate armor of the contingent of knights marching faithfully behind their princess. One in particular wrinkled his nose with distaste as he noticed the residue coating his not-so-shining-anymore gauntlet. Link wasn’t a fan of polishing his armor in the best of times, and the chore became even more tedious following a trek through such dusty locales.

The promise of such unpleasant tasks did not affect his sense of duty, however. His senses were on high alert as he kept watch for signs of monsters. Attacks had been on the rise and Link had no intention of letting his guard down, particularly after battling these foul beasts of darkness on Hyrule Field just the day before. It was only a matter of time before the horde regrouped and retaliated with a vengeance, even more aggressive than before.

Link’s fellow knights were not nearly as concerned as they gossiped in hushed tones.

“I thought I was a goner!” one of the two guards, a young knight named Camin, muttered to the young woman beside him. “Once that moblin showed up—did you see the size of his club?!”

“You and me both!” the other guard replied, a young woman named Brinalda who preferred to be called just Brin. In fact, she would not hesitate to punch anyone who dared call her by the fussy, pretentious name given by her fussy, pretentious mother. “I swear that club was taking down dozens of knights with every swing. It was awful! At least,” she paused, smirking in Link’s direction. “Until he showed up and slayed the beast like it was nothing more than bokoblin spawn.”

“As one often does,” Camin deadpanned.

Link snorted, rolling his eyes as he caught on that they were talking about him. The battle had been fierce, but he saw it as a team effort and it really didn’t matter who had struck the killing blow on a moblin or two.

Rather than correct them, he chose instead to scoff. “Pfft. If you’re going to tell wild tales about me, at least make them sound cooler.”

“Right. Sorry,” Camin snickered. “I forgot. It was definitely a lynel. Isn’t that right, Brin?” He glanced at his counterpart, trying not to laugh too loudly lest he draw the princess’s attention. 

“Nah,” she disagreed with a chuckle. “It was an entire herd of lynels and I definitely saw Link lasso two of them together and ride them right out of Hyrule, standing with one boot on each of their backs.”

“Better.” Link shook his head in amusement.

Brin and Camin were two of Link's closest friends. The two young knights were a few years older than he, but had been in the same class of squires promoted to knighthood that year, so they’d had years of training, joking, and fighting together side by side. They were battle buddies and friends, and Link had been relieved when the three of them had been assigned to the princess’s guard detail for the day. Truly, there were few that Link fully trusted to watch his back, let alone the princess of Hyrule’s. 

Even if they were dorks and a huge thorn in his side much of the time, teasing him relentlessly for being an overachiever.

The thing was, in spite of their insistence otherwise, Link was just a teenage boy like any other, at least that’s what he would tell you if you asked him.

Like many boys, he had been a reckless child, worrying his mother at every turn. He had grown up dreaming of joining the royal guard and following in his father's footsteps. Young Link had picked up a sword almost as soon as he could walk and even becoming his father’s paige at the age of seven.

Sure, Link had risen through the ranks quickly, besting many seasoned adults with his swordsmanship and archery skills, earning himself an early promotion to squire at the age of ten. And maybe he had become the youngest fully qualified knight in Hyrule’s history at the age of sixteen—

But none of that mattered. Not really. 

If you asked Link, he would tell you all of those things came about because of his hard work and the support of his friends and family. Not a big deal. 

It was this hard work that had earned him a temporary spot on the princess’s guard, assigned just that morning to protect the princess as she traveled to complete her necessary errands, which is what brought him to the Breach of Demise that day. He and his fellows trailed the princess and her aide as they made their way to the Royal Tech Lab located just on the other side of the breach.

Link was distracted from his musings as he realized they were lagging and the space between them and the princess had become too great. Silently chastising himself for slacking his duty, he picked up his pace a bit and moved to a respectable distance of three paces behind, his eyes scanning the cliffs for anything out of place. Thankfully, aside from the breeze, the only thing he could hear was Princess Zelda, who was completely engrossed with some piece of Sheikah technology that he wasn’t yet familiar with and chattering quite happily to her advisor.

“What was it that Purah said she needed to do to the slate?” the princess asked curiously, holding up the object and examining it closely.

“Oh, you know, a bit of this and a bit of that,” her advisor, a Sheikah woman named Impa, replied with a light shrug. “Something about a new rune discovery, though I think part of it is she just wanted to play with that toy some more until she finished building her own.”

Zelda laughed. “That—does not surprise me one bit. Though I do wonder what the new rune could possibly be? An elemental rune? Or-oh! I once found an excerpt on an old scroll that mentioned a master key rune that could unlock any door! Wouldn’t that be extraordinary?” The princess continued her excited speculations, tilting the object from one side to the other as she spoke.

Link couldn’t help but smile, her enthusiasm contagious. He didn’t know much at all about Sheikah technology and nothing at all about the object they referred to as a “Sheikah slate”, but that was ok. His job was to protect the princess, not understand her scientific pursuits. Which was a good thing, seeing as the princess was engrossed in the science enough for the whole lot of them, her gaze fixed upon the small stone tablet and the marks on its surface as she walked. Someone needed to look out for her, and Link was perfectly content to be that someone, at least for that day.

The road was clear, both before and behind, as there were no signs of monsters to be found. His eyes flicked around, constantly moving between the princess and their surroundings. So far, so good. That is, until the princess missed the stray stone in her path, her toe catching on it and launching her forward, the tablet flying from her hands.

“I’ve got you, Princess!” Link was at her side in an instant, an arm flying out and catching her about the shoulders before she could hit the ground.

“Ack!” Princess Zelda squeaked, scrambling to get her feet underneath her as Link gently set her upright, pausing as their eyes met, his breath catching in her throat. He’d never realized just how—green her eyes were. A truly remarkable color. And that shy smile—

Cheeks flushing under his piercing blue gaze, the princess tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling in an embarrassed sort of way. “Th-thank you, um—Sir—Link? Was it?” Gratitude was evident in her very posture and she smiled as he simply nodded.

After an almost too long pause, someone behind him—the princess’s aide, he assumed—cleared their throat, and he flushed, taking a quick half step back. Goddess! He knew better than this! How could he behave so unprofessionally? 

“Are you hurt?” His eyebrows furrowed together as he looked her up and down, checking for any sign of injury.

“I’m fine,” Princess Zelda smiled. “Truly, I am, but thank you for—oh no!” She cried out, causing Link to startle at the unexpected outburst, his hand immediately going for the pommel of his sword. “The Sheikah slate!” She darted over to where the slate lay on the ground, Link following on her heels, watching as she picked it up gingerly.

“I’m sure it’s just fine,” Impa assured the princess, leaning in to get a closer look. “Ancient Sheikah tech is built to last. See?” She poked at the object a few times, eliciting a few chirpy beeps from it.

Link moved back a respectable distance, flushing even more at the smirks of his companions before muttering instructions for them to form a three way perimeter around the princess to keep a lookout while she was distracted. It was with a bemused expression that he watched as she fretted over the small piece of ancient technology, his fingers twitching for his sword, every instinct he possessed telling him that it would be unwise to linger there on the road. Unfortunately, he wasn’t in a position to say anything. His job was to move when the princess moved and to be ready to protect her from any threat that may present itself.

The princess tested out a few of the runes. First, a huge block of ice erupted from the ground, followed by what looked like a large metal crate that smashed into the block of ice, shattering it into a million tiny pieces. It was incredible, really, that such a large powerful force could come from such a small object.

They all watched as Princess Zelda put the Sheikah slate through its paces, until a whirring, clicking sound caught Link’s attention, his attention immediately snapping to the source of it. A lump of metal that Link had recognized as an ancient, dust-covered guardian decaying on the path behind them glowed to life. The machine flickered between orange that he recognized from the experiments the Sheikah researchers worked on at the castle and a creepy red haze that he’d come to associate with the spawning of monsters. The cylindrical head spun around, a glowing blue eye pausing as it fixated on their group and began flashing red as it beeped. 

Link’s head whipped around and his heart stuttered within his chest as the red light fixed on the princess’s forehead. He had to act. Now!

“Princess!” The beeping coming from the guardian had grown increasingly faster, instinct taking over as Link’s feet moved of their own accord. He dashed forward, throwing himself between the princess and the machine, crouched in a defensive stance, his shield raised just in time for a blinding white blast to erupt from the eye of the guardian, deflecting perfectly off of the shield surface and away from the group.

“What is the m—oh!” The princess had turned at the sound of his shout, her eyes going wide with surprise when the knight had leapt between her and the surprisingly active guardian just a few yards away.

But they weren’t safe yet. The beeping resumed and the targeting light from the guardian sought out the princess once more.

Without a word, Link took a hold of her hand, tugging her along as he broke into a run. Impa, Camin and Brin followed close behind.

“Run for cover!” Impa shouted, diving behind a boulder, Camin and Brin following suit.

The beam stayed locked on the princess until Link pulled her behind a cluster of boulders, pulling her between himself and the rock wall and shielding her with his body. Princess Zelda let out a little shriek, cringing into him as the white hot blast blew a chunk out of the boulder just a bit past where they crouched in hiding. Bits of crumbled stone pinged against the young knight's plate armor.

Silence ringing in his ears, Link opened his eyes only to find a pair of shining emerald orbs watching him—just inches away from his own vibrant blues. He blinked, somehow surprised by her nearness.

“Is-is everyone ok? Impa?” the princess whispered, exhaling a shaky breath and pulling away from Link, her lips pursing together as her cheeks flamed once more.

Catching himself staring, yet again, Link blinked, relaxing his defensive stance and nodding. “I-I think so,” he murmured before moving to peek around the edge of the boulder. Without any moving targets in its sights, the guardian had calmed and was now humming contentedly, its cylinder-shaped head rotating around. Thankfully this particular guardian was of the legless variety and could not follow them. 

Suddenly, the guardian lit up once more, beeping as its targeting light focused on something Link couldn’t see from his vantage point. Quick footsteps from behind caused him to whirl around, reaching for his sword.

“It’s ok! It’s just me!” Impa panted, skidding to a stop in the already crowded space. She’d barely managed to get out of the sight of the guardian before it could unleash another blast. “Are you ok, your highness?”

Link relaxed as the princess exhaled a sigh of relief. “Yes. Thank you, Impa.” Forehead furrowed, she glanced over her shoulder as if she could see the rogue guardian through the boulder. “How–Why? What activated that guardian, I wonder?”

“You know Purah and Robbie are the technical experts. We’ll have to ask them. The more important question is—” she looked pointedly at Link. “How are we going to get out of here?”

Link hummed, eyes narrowing as he assessed their options. If they made a run for it, they could most likely escape the guardian’s blast fairly easily. Once they made it past the curve in the road ahead, the guardian would no longer be a threat. For them, anyways. 

The trouble was, he couldn’t in good conscience just leave an active guardian on the side of the road to blast unsuspecting travelers. In his mind, it was decided.

“Leave it to me.” Squaring his shoulders, Link unsheathed his sword and shield, stepping out from behind the stony shelter. 

Princess Zelda gasped. “Sir Link! What—what are you d—”

She had heard many rumors about this particular knight—wild tales about a young man taking down a fully grown hinox with nothing but a pot lid and a soup ladle. Or battling a lynel in a blizzard, armed with a torch and lassoing it with a bit of string.

In spite of the tales of his bravery and her own eye witness of his actions on the battlefield just the day before, she was taken by surprise when he slipped from their hiding place and marched off towards the guardian, calling out for his fellow guards to follow as he went.

She watched, her hands clasped over her thundering heart as he muttered instructions to the others, directing them to either side of the machine, just outside its range of vision. Once they moved into position, he launched himself into a run, drawing the guardian’s attention.

What in Hylia’s name was he doing!? He was going to get himself killed!

The red beam locked onto the young knight and Zelda tensed, her heart thundering in her throat for his safety as she wondered what in the world he was trying to do. The guardian’s beeping intensified, pulsing quicker and louder by the second.

“Sir Link!” she screamed a warning just as the blast was hurled towards him. He feinted, pivoting on one foot, luring the guardian to send the blast to where he’d been before launching himself into a dive roll in the opposite direction.

Zelda had researched the guardians extensively and knew that even one was capable of wiping out an entire platoon of seasoned warriors. How could these three knights hope to defeat such a monstrosity on their own?

She held her breath, actively willing herself not to bite her nails, knowing that her lady’s maid would scold her soundly if she showed up that evening with ragged nails. It was hard, however, to watch the young man prowling ever closer to the guardian, the targeting beam focused on his chest as the other two knights hacked away at the machine from behind. 

With a grinding squeal, the ancient machine loosed yet another blast, but Link was ready, neatly deflecting the beam and moving in to slash at the armored carapace with all of his strength. Zelda gasped as his sword grazed the surface, not leaving so much as a scratch in spite of the beating it was receiving.

The beeping had resumed once more as the machine readied yet another white hot blast, and she could see that he was too close for it to hit directly, but he wasn’t completely clear of its fire either. Her mind reeled, the idea of any of her knights actually dying to protect her was an anathema to her soul. She had to think of something she could do to help. Anything! It was a machine. It had to have a weakness.

Think Zelda!

“The eye!” she shouted, a quickly formulated theory occuring to her. “Sir Link! Go for the eye!”

With a grunt, the knight nodded in acknowledgement, diving out of the way of the most recent blast and landing hard on his shoulder with a grunt before scrambling to his feet and taking a hop backwards and away from the thing. Zelda held her breath as the beam locked onto the knight once more and he took a few running steps, leaping into the air with all the grace of a Zora dancer. It was almost as if time had slowed as he seemed to float mid air for a brief moment, his sword arm drawn back before he thrust it forward, directly into the eye of the guardian. Sparks flew from the cylindrical head and a brilliant blue white glow erupted from the body before it exploded, a mess of screws and springs littering the rocky soil where the legless guardian had once been perched. 

The knight landed on his feet, panting slightly. His sharp blue gaze immediately snapped to her, concern quickly overshadowing the embers of victory. “Are you ok, Princess?”

Eyebrows furrowed, Princess Zelda stared in disbelief. This knight risked himself to face certain death at the mercy of a rogue guardian and he was worried about her?! “I am quite alright, thank you. But what about you?” Her gaze flicked between the three exhausted but exhilarated knights. “You all fought quite bravely. Are any of you injured?”

Link looked to his fellow knights, a question in his eyes. They shook their heads, grinning from the afterglow of victory. Turning back to the princes, he said simply, “We are fine, your highness, thank you.”

“In that case, we really should be in our way,” Impa interjected, gesturing in the direction they had originally been headed. “I don't think it's a good idea to stay here too long in case of a monster attack.”

Zelda agreed. “You're right, of course, Impa. Let's go.” Her gaze paused longingly over the mess of parts scattered from the now useless guardian. “Though, perhaps we should collect some of these parts? I know they would be an invaluable asset to the researchers and it would be a shame to waste them.”

Impa sighed, but acquiesced. “Of course, Princess. Whatever you wish.”

Link nodded and turned to his friends, “Well? You heard the princess. Get moving!”

Camin and Brin exchanged a look but joined Link in gathering the screws and springs and other mechanical pieces they could carry.

“This is probably the strangest thing I've ever done while on duty,” Camin commented. 

Brin snorted. “It could be worse, the princess is one of those science types after all. She could have asked us to gather frogspawn or something like that.”

“Ugh. Lovely,” was all Camin could say.

Link chuckled, gathering several parts and pieces he didn't recognize, to include a small metallic sphere. He approached the princess who had picked up a few items herself and was now stuffing them into her satchel. “Are these pieces what you needed, your highness?”

Zelda looked over his haul and smiled. “These are perfect, thank you, Sir Link.” At the sight of the small sphere, her eyes brightened until she was positively beaming. “And you found a memory core! Those are quite difficult to extract intact, you know, and exceptionally valuable. Well done, Sir Link!” 

As the group finished collecting the gathered ancient technology pieces and left the destroyed guardian behind, Zelda couldn’t help but think that she was quite glad to have reaped some benefit from the rogue guardian’s unexpected activation. She couldn’t wait to see the look on Purah’s and Robbie’s faces when they handed over the newly acquired ancient tech pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The scenario in this chapter is my take on the first story mission from Age of Calamity after the battle of Hyrule Field, but what might have happened had there been no egg baby guardian (aka the BOTW timeline).


	2. Eccentric Genius Versus Genius Eccentric

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with another chapter! So...I don't really have a posting schedule. I'd planned to post once a week, but I decided to post a chapter each time I finish a chapter. I've been on a roll and have just finished chapter 5, so I'm hoping to keep up with the every other day or so. We shall see!

The Royal Ancient Tech Lab was a paradox in all the best ways. A marvel of ancient wonders, few organizations could boast such scientific and technological prowess as a result of studying ancient civilization. The Sheikah tribe and their scattered history was a treasure trove of knowledge, if one knew what to look for.

Few places in all of Hyrule sparked such joy in Zelda each time she visited as this lab, chaotic maze of hallways and laboratory rooms though it was. In the guardian lab, where she'd immediately gone upon arrival, flickering blue light of the ancient furnace washed over every surface in the room where Sheikah researchers pored over ancient parts, the sounds of whirring, beeping, and clunks of armored metals punctuating the calm. 

To Zelda, these were signs of progress and discovery and her researcher's heart loved everything about it, particularly the two head researchers who she counted among her closest friends. There was Impa's older sister, Purah—a young, eccentric genius with a trendy purple stripe in her short bobbed hair who was currently punching some sort of code into a glowing pedestal on the other end of the room.

"Prepare to be amazed!" the young researcher called out, pulling the Sheikah slate from the pedestal and strutting across the room. "Aw yeah! Check it!" She presented the screen side to the princess with a dramatic flourish. 

"What, in goddess's name, is supposed to be so amazing about this, Purah?" Impa asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "The slate looks like it always does."

Zelda peered closely at the device, eyebrows furrowing before blinking up at Purah, puzzled, but unwilling to say so, knowing the big reveal was coming.

"Don't be so impatient, Impa! Wait for it!" Purah insisted, tapping on the slate and shuffling through the rune symbols until—

"Wow!" Zelda breathed, her eyes going wide with wonder. "How is it doing that?"

"It's all because of the new rune I installed! I call it a 'camera'!" A smug look crossed the young researcher's face at the sight of the miniature image of the room being shown on the slate. "But wait, there's more! This rune can actually freeze a moment in time and store the image on the slate for future reference! Watch!" She rotated in place, moving the slate so the image of the the room with all of the researchers paying them no mind slid by until—click! An image of a rather stoic knight standing guard by the door took over the screen. "Aaaand...Click! Snap! One exceptionally handsome Hylian knight saved to the slate for your future viewing pleasure."

Zelda chuckled, glancing up and noticing a flush on the knight's cheeks that was not captured on the image. She couldn't help but agree with Purah's assessment of Sir Link's appearance—he _was_ exceptionally handsome, if a bit on the short side. His dark blonde locks were messy in a way that somehow looked intentional while thick dark eyelashes framed piercing blue eyes. Truly, he was quite striking.

"Aww, Purah, look what you've done! I think you embarrassed the poor guy!" Impa laughed, shooting Link a smirk and distracting the princess from her improper musings. "Though, you do have a point. I'm not sure which is more swoon worthy—his exceptional sword skills or that smolder—"

Link's eyebrows furrowed and though he maintained his professional composure, his expression clearly read, "I do _not_ smolder."

Meeting his flustered gaze, Zelda pursed her lips, her eyes twinkling with merriment. She felt a bit bad that they were amused at his expense, but she had to admit the blush on his cheeks was rather cute, inappropriate as it would be for the princess to engage in such flirtation with her bodyguard.

"Oi! Princess Zelda! I have a theorrrrryyyy!" came a male, sing song voice from behind.

Zelda startled. It was her other close friend, Robbie, who preferred the term 'genius eccentric' and truly looked the part with the his signature goggles taking up most of his face and his wild hair spiking out in every direction. If there were three words in all the realm that were guaranteed to tear her attention from just about anything, it was those. Eyes lighting up, she whirled around to face the newcomer. She smiled widely at the sight of the wild haired young man striking a dramatic pose, one arm pointing up in the air.

"Oh?" Zelda giggled. "About what?" 

"Excuse me, Robbie!" Purah glared at the newcomer, stomping her foot as she hissed. "But you just completely ruined _my_ big reveal!"

Robbie completely ignored his lab partner, moving closer to the princess and adjusting the oversized goggles he always wore in the lab and out. "After analyzing this ancient core that you so generously—" he shifted his stance, striking another dramatic pose before continuing, "—acquired for me. I think there may be a connection between the Sheikah slate, the guidance stones and the guardians. As in, we may be able to find a way to utilize the slate technology to control the guardians and possibly even the divine beasts!"

Just that quickly, new frontiers of possibility erupted within the princess's mind and she launched into excited speculations with the eccentric young man while Impa watched with a bemused expression and Purah's toe tapped as she grew progressively more annoyed as the princess's attention moved farther away from her brilliant discovery. Link, however, breathed a sigh of relief that the conversation had turned to literally anything but him.

"Perhaps the Sheikah slate was originally meant to be a control device?"

"Or its just a secondary function?"

"Look at the way the core reacts to the device!"

"Is it—glowing? Incredible! I think you may be on to something! Well done, Robbie! Well done!" Princess Zelda praised the eccentric genius, her eyes crinkling in a warm smile.

This was simply too much for Purah. With a growl, she stomped over to her lab partner and snatched the slate from his hands. "Yes, yes, well done, you attention stealing old coot!" she hissed. "But who has two thumbs and is going to be the one to sort out the runes that will actually allow you to do these things? That's right, you're lookin' at her."

Robbie gasped in outrage, mouth hanging open. "Who are you calling _old_?! Last time I checked, _you_ were the matronly one around here, _Mrs_. Director."

A tense hush fell over the lab as every researcher pretended to be extra busy with whatever it was they were working on while keeping an ear open to hear their director's inevitable outrage. Link remained stoically indifferent by the door while Zelda glanced nervously between her two friends. Impa, however, burst into fits of cackling laughter at the furious beet red tinge that flooded Purah's cheeks. 

"He has a point, sister!" Impa crowed, doubling over and slapping her sister on the back. "You are the eldest here, after all!"

"Purah!" Zelda interjected, her voice rising to a near squeak as she linked elbows with her friend, tugging her away from her counterpart. "Perhaps you can offer some insight as to why the guardian in the breach activated and went rogue?" She spoke so quickly, her words nearly ran together.

Sufficiently distracted from her outrage over the jab at her age, Purah turned her full attention to the princess, pursing her lips, thoughtful. "Hmm..." she mused. "You said you dropped the slate, yeah?" Zelda nodded. "Well, maybe the slate glitched on impact, sending a bad signal to the guardian?"

"That—" Robbie started, tapping his chin as he considered the explanation, "Is a real plausibility!"

The previous insult all but forgotten, Purah looked rather smug. "Of course it is! I wouldn't have said it if it wasn't!" Impa just rolled her eyes. 

"Purah! That is brilliant! I wonder—" Once more, Zelda jumped into the speculations with the pair of Sheikah researchers. 

Link couldn't help but hear the conversation, even if much of it was far too technical for his brain to really comprehend. In spite of that, he managed to catch on to the fact that they were talking about the guardian he and his companions utterly destroyed. His eyebrows furrowed as he thought about the idea of the guardian attacking just because the princess had dropped some ancient relic. Something seemed off to him, nagging at him as the conversation went on. 

"But what about the red glow?" he muttered to himself, idly shifting his weight to his other foot and looking down to adjust his gauntlet that had shifted uncomfortably over his wrist. It came as a surprise when he looked up and found that the conversation had halted and everyone was staring. At him. 

"What was that?" the male researcher with the wild hair asked, his eyes peering owlishly out from behind his goggles.

Link blinked, confused. He hadn't realized he'd spoken loud enough for anyone to hear him. "I-I—didn't mean to interrupt." He mumbled. "Sorry." 

"No, no, no! No apologizing!" Purah stopped him, moving closer. "What was it that you said about a glow? Um—what's your name?" 

"Er—Link?"

"Right!" she chimed with an encouraging smile. "So! What was it that you said about the red glow, Linky?"

It was uncomfortable being under the scrutiny of an entire room of geniuses. Link swallowed hard, glancing at the princess who smiled encouragingly. "Er—um—" he rubbed the back of his neck, sheepish. "It's just that the guardian had that red glow? It didn't look like orange and blue ones at the castle. It was red, like you see when monsters spawn out in the wild."

A pause, then— "What an excellent observation, Sir Link!" the princess exclaimed, her eyes wide and full of approval. "Thank you for sharing."

Link nodded, his face going red as he pressed back to the wall, hoping to disappear into the shadows, as a good guard should.

"But what does it mean?" Impa asked.

"It means that we have a mystery on our hands, obviously," Purah sniffed. 

"A mystery we need to solve, and quickly," Robbie added.

Zelda was quiet a moment, the wheels in her mind clearly spinning. "We know the monsters are somehow connected to Gannon. Do you think—is it possible that the slate did indeed glitch, and in doing so, created a weakness in the guardian's pre established programming?"

"Is Sheikah technology and, umm, monster goo even compatible?" Impa asked, skeptical.

"It would seem so," Robbie replied. 

"Hopefully it's just a one time glitch," Purah said slowly. "Because I don't even want to consider the implication of this becoming a common occurrence."

Zelda hummed, her lips pursed together. "I worry it's a sign—of things to come," she finally said, swallowing hard and clenching her fist to her side. "The prophet all those years ago did say that the signs of Gannon's return would be clear."

It had been almost ten years since the fortune teller had spoken the prophecy of the coming calamity and set Hyrule on the path to finding a way to defy the coming destruction. Not too long after, her mother had perished at the hands of the Yiga and the young Hylian princess was left to sort out her so-called sacred power all on her own. When her power showed no signs of awakening any time soon, she'd decided to play to her scientific strengths and use every second of her free time to study and research the ancient relics that she believed would be their true salvation.

"If that's the case," Purah interrupted the princess's thoughts. "Then don't you worry, Princess. We have a great head start. Between the divine beasts and our advances in mastering guardian technology, we are leaps and bounds ahead of where we were ten years ago."

Zelda smiled faintly, her eyebrows relaxing slightly in spite of the ever present knot in her gut that felt as if it were at ticking time bomb counting down to the moment the calamity would arrive. It served to remind her every second of every day that she had yet to fulfill her divine duty as the princess of Hyrule. 

"Besides," Impa added, elbowing the princess with a look that clearly said she knew exactly what Zelda was fretting about. "The hero who wields the sword that seals the hasn't been revealed yet, so we still have time."

Link's ears perked up at this. He'd grown up hearing tales of the hero of legend rising up from the shadows with a magical sword and joining forces with the princess of divine birth to defeat the darkness. The mythical hero had been an inspiration to the young knight throughout his years of training—alongside Link's own father, of course. The thought that a chosen one with the soul of _that_ hero would show himself in Link's lifetime was exciting, to say the least.

Not only that, but he was in the employ of the princess descended from Hylia herself who was going to save them all. Truly, it was an honor and the young knight couldn't help but feel a bit starstruck at the realization. It deepened his already intense resolve to protect the crown with his life. Sure, he'd sworn an oath saying the same thing to the royal family when he'd become a knight, but this was bigger than that. This was about doing his part to protect the princess of destiny.

Of course, the princess knew her destiny all too well. Zelda sighed and nodded. "You're right. Of course you're right. Thank you, Impa." 

Before anyone else could interject, several things happened all at once. A loud crash thundered through the room, startling the researchers and creating a moment of panic. Before the princess could even inhale the breath she would need to cry out in surprise, Link was in front of her, sword drawn and shield at the ready, his blue eyes darting about, ready for whatever the trouble may be. 

The box containing the new ancient parts and pieces that Zelda had brought them had fallen, a multitude of screws and cogs now scattered across the floor. A curious clunking noise sounded from behind the counter the container had tumbled down from.

"Ugh! Robbie!" Purah nearly shouted, her face scrunched up with anger as she stomped over to her research partner and poked him in the chest. "That beast of yours is making a nuisance of itself again!"

Robbie gasped dramatically, recoiling away from the short angry Sheikah woman standing in front of him. "How dare you! Cherry is _not_ a beast! She's my personal support guardian. Granted, her programming is still in beta mode and we're working out the bugs, but that doesn't mean she can't hear you!"

"That— _thing_ has been nothing but a menace since you activated it! Knocking things over and making a chaotic mess wherever it goes," Purah grumbled, glaring daggers at the young man.

Seeing that there was no immediate danger, Link relaxed and, with a nod to the princess, moved back to his post by the door. In the meantime, Robbie had scampered over to the source of the clanking, kicking ancient parts out of the way in his hurry.

"Aww, Cherry, my darling!" he cooed in an oddly sweet voice that Zelda didn't think she'd heard come from his mouth before. "Did you wake up from your nap and wonder where I'd went? Come on out, dearest! That's right! That's a good girl."

Zelda couldn't help the gasp of delight she made at the sight that met her eyes. A miniature guardian, identical if a quarter the size of the one they'd met in the breach, scuttled out from behind the counter at Robbie's encouragement. 

"Oh! Robbie! She's absolutely beautiful!" The princess moved closer to the smaller guardian. Cherry issued a few bleeps before skittering back behind Robbie's legs. "Oh, did I frighten you? I'm so sorry, little one." Zelda spoke in a soothing voice, kneeling so she could look directly into its clear blue eye. 

It took every ounce of self control to keep Link at his post by the door. He was feeling a bit skittish between the rogue guardian earlier that day and the knowledge that this one was new and untried. He settled for watching closely, his muscles tense and at the ready.

"Is Cherry the special project you've been busy with all these months?" Zelda asked, glancing up with raised eyebrows.

"She is, indeed, your highness." Robbie was positively beaming. "And, if you ask me, while she still has a lot to learn about coordination and navigating a room, she's perfect."

"I would agree. Once again, your work with guardians is unsurpassed, Robbie." 

Impa was utterly bemused with the whole situation and simply exchanged an incredulous look with her sister, who did not even try to hide her irritation with the newly developed guardian.

"Oh, that reminds me!" Robbie hurried over to his desk, the fledgling guardian close at his heels. "I have something for you—" He rummaged through the organized mess on his desk. "Aha! Here we go. You have a special project of your own that you've been working on, if I remember correctly?"

"Umm, yes. Yes I do, though it's nothing compared to your Cherry, I'm sure."

"Nothing compares to Cherry, because the crazy fool is head over heels in love with it," Purah muttered, crossing her arms.

Robbie ignored Purah and grinned at the princess, holding out his hand. "Irregardless, I remembered the challenge you had fitting a regular ancient core in the space allotted for the central processing unit on your blueprint, and I took the liberty of creating this—" His fist opened to reveal a faintly glowing screw.

"Is that—?" Zelda's eyes went wide and her mouth opened to a perfect little "o". "—a miniature ancient core?"

"Very good, Princess! I was able to piece it together from several decayed cores we had collected. There were still bits of them that were good and between them all, I was able to recreate the memory unit in a compact size. I thought it might come in handy."

"It's perfect!" Zelda beamed, her smile as bright as the sun as she took the miniature ancient core replica from her friend. "I shall make good use of this, I promise. Thank you."

After a slightly too long silence wherein the princess and Robbie grinned at one another, Purah loosed a heavy sigh, groaning dramatically."Ok, great! Now that we've established that Robbie is the best, can we please get back to the camera rune? You know, the entire reason you risked your life to come all the way out here?"

"Oh! Right!" Zelda startled, her cheeks flushing as she turned back to her other friend. "I'm so sorry Purah! You are quite right. Please, show me how to use this new rune."

Happy to no longer be outshone by her lab partner, Purah clapped her hands in excitement and giggled. "Don't you worry, Princess. I'll have you running that camera quicker than you can say 'click snap!'" As she led the princess away, Purah threw a look over her shoulder at Robbie, who simply shrugged and took his guardian back to his work area.

With the departure of the new guardian, Link was able to relax, content to watch the princess as she worked. Purah took her time thoroughly explaining everything to Zelda and making sure the princess knew how to operate the new rune. At some point, Impa became bored and sidled over to lean against the same wall Link was standing near, making small talk with the vigilant, young knight as they both waited for Princess Zelda to finish her business at the lab.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Robbie's memoirs say Cherry was the first "girl" he ever loved but...who says the first girl wasn't a guardian of his own invention? :-D Also, I live for Purah and Robbie's bickering genius co workers dynamic. It's a lot of fun to write.


	3. Zelda Finds a Way to Help

By the time Purah had finished showing Princess Zelda everything she needed to know about the new addition to her Sheikah slate, the sun had sunk low in the late afternoon sky, making way for the golden hours of twilight. The princess finally said farewell to her friends at the lab and departed with her advisor, the three knights following just a few paces behind. With the setting sun at their backs, they passed through the Breach of Demise without incident, crossing over the Carok Bridge and finding themselves in the shadow of the quarry just outside Castle Town. 

Link was not pleased that they were on foot so far from the castle gates with the darkness of night growing nearer by the second. It made him downright twitchy, though he, of course, maintained his professional composure as they continued their trek. It didn't matter to him that _he_ was out so late in the day, he could look after himself. He was, however, concerned for the princess's safety. Attacks from both bandits and monsters were more likely to happen in the early evening hours and without a proper carriage, or even a horse, they had no way of fleeing from danger. 

Even Camin and Brin were on edge, walking in rare silence without their usual hushed banter. Brin had even gone so far as to pull her bow out, arrow at the ready.

"I can't believe it's so late!" Impa grumbled. "Didn't Purah know we'd walked and needed to get back to the castle at a reasonable hour?" Impa, too, was nervous, but chose to hide it by complaining about her older sister. 

Zelda was blissfully unaware of the time, engrossed as she was in the slate's new functionalities, pointing it here and there and snapping photographs that she was now scrolling through. "Hmm?" she murmured distractedly. "Oh! I mean, I'm sure she meant well. It _was_ a rather exciting discovery, don't you think?"

"Maybe." Impa was skeptical. "But knowing her, she was just punishing all of us for letting Robbie steal the spotlight the way he did."

Zelda laughed, still not looking up from the slate. "I highly doubt that. Why would she do such a thing?"

"Because she's Purah?" Impa snorted, though her eyes flicked around, noticing the rocky crags surrounding them, shadows growing deeper with the fading afternoon light. It made her uneasy. "But speaking of Robbie. Don't think I didn't notice."

Brin and Camin looked to Link for some kind of hint, but Link simply shrugged. Zelda, however, finally looked up from the slate, an eyebrow raised as she said, "Notice? Notice what?"

"The way you were looking at Robbie after he gave you that screw thingy." Impa smirked, continuing, "You _like_ him, don't you?" She drew out the word "like" in a sing song voice that implied much, much more.

"Impa!" Zelda spluttered, eyes wide with shock. "I–how could you—there is no way—!"

Impa burst into laughter while the trailing knights struggled to maintain a professional stoic expression, quietly exchanging amused looks between the three of them. It wouldn't do to be caught laughing at the princess's expense. 

"Princess, your blush tells me _everything_ I need to know."

"I am not blushing!"

"Your pink cheeks say otherwise."

"He is just a friend!" she insisted. "I admire him for his research, that's all!" The princess finally put the Sheikah slate away, attaching it to her belt and smoothing out an imaginary wrinkle on her blouse. "His research—Purah's too—will make all the difference in the coming calamity." Looking down at her hands, she held them palm side up, her mood instantly shifting as she sighed. "It has to—if I cannot—if my power does not—if I am not enough—"

Link's eyebrows furrowed together at her words and he opened his mouth as if to say something. He'd caught onto her distress earlier in the lab and, though he'd only really just met her that day, he wanted to say something that might comfort her. Maybe tell her that he believed in her—she was the princess of destiny after all. Everything was going to work out! But...it wasn't his place, and he knew it would be a huge breach of protocol to address her without invitation, so he held his tongue.

Thankfully, Impa was there and had plenty to say for the both of them. "Princess," she started, her tone soothing. "Don't you fret about that. Trust me when I say that our histories tell us that these things never work out the same way twice. Every Zelda in ages past had to find her own way to protect her kingdom, the golden power was always, _always_ secondary. And it always showed itself when it was time." The young Sheikah woman paused, a small smile playing about her lips. "Besides, it's not like you could do anything without the hero who wields the sword that seals the darkness, right? And he is still nowhere to be found. So we've got time. It'll all work out, you just have to have faith in yourself."

Zelda sighed, the knot in her chest loosening ever so slightly as she smiled a small, sad smile. "Perhaps you are right."

"There is no 'perhaps' about it. I _am_ right." Impa grinned. "That's why I'm the royal advisor. I have all the answers."

Snorting in a rather unladylike way, Zelda laughed. "Right. How could I forget such an important fact? I know—"

The words faded in her throat as a chorus of grunts and squeals rent the air.

"Shit!" Link cursed under his breath, immediately drawing his sword and looking to his companions on either side of him.

"Bokoblins," all three groaned in chorus.

"Triforce formation," Link ordered. "Now!"

The three knights darted into position around the princess and her royal advisor, swords at the ready. 

"Make that a—um? Quadforce?" Impa interjected, whipping out a long thin sword from its sheath on her lower back and darting to the space between Link and Brin.

Link glanced at her, a silent questioning eyebrow raised and she quickly added, "What? I'm going to fight too and it's not really a "tri" if there's four of us, is it?"

Link chuckled and shook his head. He certainly wasn't going to argue against having an extra sword in the fight, so the three knights adjusted their position to make room for the young Sheikah warrior. 

"Impa!" Zelda cried out, her hands clasped together, fearful for her friend. "Are—I did not know you could fight!"

Impa scoffed. "You didn't think the kodachi I carry around was just for looks, did you?"

The princess had no reply to that and simply tried not to allow herself to panic. She knew she would be safe between the four of them, but she hated that she couldn't contribute in a meaningful way. The squealing was growing louder, echoing off the tall, stony bluffs surrounding them. 

Link knew they were in a tough position. They'd just passed through the quarry and were on that brief empty stretch of road that led to Castle Town. He couldn't yet see the monsters, but they were stuck between a literal rock and a hard place with the stony bluffs rising up on either side of the road. There was nowhere to hide and the town was just far enough away that any attempt to run would be thwarted. It was safer to stand their ground and take out the monsters on their own terms. 

"Brin!" Link called out, his voice taking on a commanding edge. "Find the high ground and pick them off from above."

"You got it, boss!" The young woman quickly strapped her bow to her back and sprinted to the nearest craggy bluff and began to scale it with ease, reaching the top quickly and getting into a comfortable position for sniping. Thankfully, there was still just enough light that she would be able to see well enough to tell friend from foe. 

The grunts and squeals drew nearer, bouncing off the stones in such a way it made it near impossible to decipher which way they were coming from. Link squinted into the shadows, finally he saw a hint of movement between the boulders and ahead on the road. It was an ambush. A poorly executed ambush, seeing as no one was surprised, but an ambush all the same. 

They were surrounded.

Dread washed over him as the bokoblins emerged from the shadows, more than two dozen of them. That, in and of itself wouldn't have been so bad. They were fundamentally stupid creatures and the knights of Hyrule had been trained to dispatch a dozen bokoblins at a time. But behind the red and blue pig like creatures was at least one silver, which meant it was more clever than the rest. Link knew that would be a challenge to take out alone.

Link's muttered curses became more colorful as a hulking figure emerged from behind the bokoblins surrounding them. Moblin. That—was going to be a problem.

No matter. Link had no intention of losing to any odds. They had to protect the princess at all costs, and he was ready. Crouching in a defensive stance, Link raised his sword as he glared fiercely, hoping to intimidate at least a few of them. Unfortunately, bokoblins were generally too stupid and blood thirsty to fear for their own lives, so the hylians would have to rely on their skills alone. 

The monsters had paused, spread out in a perimeter around the traveling party, squealing and stomping their feet as they waited for whatever signal such beasts relied on. Link was tense, waiting for the moment when he would be able to unleash himself at these beasts. 

Finally, the moblin let out an almighty roar and the bokoblins attacked, swarming around the group. Link was ready, lunging forward, smashing a red pig like creature with his shield and sending it careening into a group of three others while his sword slashed at a blue creature directly in front of him.

He could see Impa from the corner of his eye and was impressed with her sheer speed and agility. Her fighting style was unique to the Sheikah, nothing like what he'd been trained. It was subtle, and quick and relied heavily on stealth and staying out of the reach of the enemy. Ideal for taking on a single larger enemy, but more of a challenge in a battle like this. She was managing just fine, however as she whipped a dagger from the folds of her tunic and whirled around, disarming one bokoblin with her sword while jabbing the dagger behind her into the chest of another, all as she lashed out a fierce sidekick at the kneecap of another. 

Camin held the line, not allowing a single bokoblin through as he fought, swinging his heavy claymore down in an unstoppable arc, knocking enemies down and easily cleaving them in two, while Brin began picking off bokoblins from above, careful not to hit any of their party. Truly, there were few archers Link would trust to shoot into such a close quarters fight, but Brin had been legendary among their squire group for being able to shoot an apple from a tree across the training yard and since their graduation, had saved his neck on more than one occasion. She could handle this. 

The monsters slowly fell, the crowd thinning out, allowing the larger beasts a path through. The larger, silver bokoblin, sprinting with alarming speed, charged directly at Impa, leveling its spear and taking her by surprise. Link heard her gasp and, first dispatching the three bokoblins he'd been fighting, lunged for the silver striped creature, knocking the spear from its grasp and throwing it off balance.

"Thanks!" Impa called out, darting behind the creature like a flash to put a dagger in its back.

Link grunted in acknowledgement, whirling around to meet the moblin who had finally made its way through the crowd. One good thing about moblins is that they were reckless and tended to swing their clubs in every direction, knocking out many of their own kind in their wake. Artfully dodging the spiked club, Link lunged toward the moblin, slashing across creature's gut, earning a scream and a sharp kick. Being as the creature's foot was larger than Link himself, the young Hylian knight was launched backwards, landing hard on his back. 

Winded, but otherwise ok, Link blinked, realizing he had fallen at Princess Zelda's feet, he could see her worried expression upside from where he had landed.

"Sir Link!" she cried out, crouching down to help him back to his feet. "Are you hurt?"

"M' ok!" he replied with a grunt and a reassuring grin, scrambling to get his feet back under him before the moblin could get any closer to the princess. With a loud battle cry, Link braced himself, readying his shield as he broke into a run. He managed to gain enough momentum that the moblin was caught off guard and knocked to the ground. 

"Hey! O' mighty moblin slayer!" Camin called out from behind him. "A little help here?" 

"I'm a little busy at the moment!" Link ground out, dodging the fallen moblin's flailing arms. He raised his sword, but before he could dart in, an arrow lodged itself into the creature's neck, finishing it off.

"Nice shot!" he called out to the archer above, huffing a breath of relief before taking out another four bokoblins with a sweeping arc of his sword, cutting them down like fresh mown hay. 

A strangled cry from behind caught his attention, and he whipped around, groaning at what he saw. Another moblin had emerged from the bluffs, this one wielding a sledgehammer. Camin was motionless, flat on his back as Brin struggled to hold it off with her arrows, switching shots between the moblin and the straggling bokoblins, relentless in their pursuit of the princess. 

"Lady Impa, cover me! Brin! I need you down here!" Link shouted orders, dashing for the monstrous newcomer. There were still too many bokoblins for Link to leave his position uncovered. 

"Gladly!" Brin laughed, and did as he said, scrambling down from the cliff leaping to the ground from the halfway point and landing elegantly in a wide lunge before darting past Link to take care of the straggling bokoblins. The pair laughed and did a tag team high five as they passed one another in the center of the ring. 

The princess watched the exchange with a bemused expression, supposing there were some things in life she would never understand and the exhilaration of a soldier in the heat of battle was one of them.

Link charged the moblin, his sword and shield swinging to block the sledgehammer while simultaneously keeping the bokoblins at bay. They would _not_ harm the princess. Not while he was still living and breathing.

Zelda observed the organized chaos of battle around her, she could see the orchestrated movements of her protectors. At a casual glance, it would appear to be a disjointed machine, but as they all worked together it was a harmonious system. She felt she could never understand how to operate in this type of environment.

It bothered her that her companions were risking life and limb on her behalf and she was powerless to help. As she fretted and worried, it occurred to her that there _must_ be _some_ way she could help. She realized she'd done herself a disservice in never bothering to pick up a sword or even a bow in her almost seventeen years of life. But she knew she was smart and intelligence counted for something. But, what could she do?

Think Zelda!

Like the flash of lightning in a storm, an idea came to her. The Sheikah slate! The slate had some powerful abilities and if she could just think creatively, she could focus those abilities on their enemies to help turn the tide of this battle.

Several of the remaining bokoblins had crowded around Link, who had his hands full not only from avoiding being overwhelmed by sheer numbers, but by avoiding that moblin's sledgehammer. No one wanted a sledgehammer to the head—Camin was going to have a splitting headache when he awoke. The monsters closing in had forced him to inch backwards, and he instinctively knew he was allowing them too close to the princess. He had to push them back, at any cost. 

Link shifted his position, grunting in pain as yet another swing of the sledgehammer bounced off of his now dented shield. He scowled, thinking the garrison blacksmith was going to curse him into oblivion when he brought this in for repairs. Before he could make another swing, a sharp crackling sound startled him as the moblin and the half dozen bokoblins surrounding him all transformed into frozen ice sculptures. A half second later, an enormous iron crate crashed from the sky onto the frozen moblin's head, causing the ice to shatter and the creature to fall face first in the mud, unconscious.

Blinking, Link turned around to find the princess standing behind him. She had already turned in place, her back was to him and arms outstretched as she pointed the Sheikah slate at the remaining monsters, turning them to ice where they stood.

As quickly as it had began, the battle was over. The three remaining warriors, still poised to fight with weapons at the ready felt unresolved as they searched for more enemies.

Straightening slowly, they all stared at the princess, who was now grinning sheepishly, tucking an imaginary strand of hair behind her ear.

"I—didn't know the Sheikah slate could do that?" Impa said slowly, eyes wide.

"I didn't know either," Zelda admitted with a shrug. "But I was desperate and thought it worth the try."

"Oh, it was definitely worth it," Impa agreed enthusiastically. "Nice job, Princess!" 

The princess turned to Link, smiling beatifically. He blinked, taken aback for just a moment at how bright her smile was. Pulling himself together, he simply nodded and added, "Yes, thank you. Though—" he grinned mischievously. "I think you might put us knights out of a job with moves like that."

Zelda blushed, stammering, "Oh, I would never presume—you all did admirable work today. I owe each of you my life, and I thank you."

Link's smile shifted, communicating warmth in a way that sent an odd fluttering of butterflies through the princess's stomach before he turned to Brin. "Do you want to make sure these monsters are done for or should I?"

"You do it, you know I hate blood," she said in a teasing voice.

Link snorted. "How you ever became a knight is beyond me." 

Brin stuck out her tongue, but said, "Anyways, one of us needs to make sure this big oaf is ok." She gestured to Camin who was still lying on the ground, awake now, but clutching his head.

"Oh! I have a health potion!" Impa interjected, hurrying over to kneel by the young knight. "It should get him back on his feet quickly."

Link turned to the princess with an apologetic smile. "I don't want to tell you what to do, but you may not want to watch while I—" he gestured to the frozen monsters and made a slicing gesture at his throat. 

Zelda's eyebrows flicked up and she made a sound that told Link she knew exactly what he was getting at. "Oh! Right. Of course. I mean, I am a scientist and monster carcasses do not frighten me, but—perhaps I'll help the others tend to your friend here, yes?"

Link grinned and nodded before setting to work to make sure each and every fallen monster was down for good, clearing the road of the monster corpses while he was at it, lest any horse or cart should take a tumble. The dead monsters would vanish with the rise of the moon later on, but until then, he wanted to make sure they were out of the way.

By the time he'd finished, Camin was up and on his feet. Link went over to his friend, clapping him on the back. "You ok, buddy?"

Camin grinned. "I'm fine. It was just a flesh wound, after all."

"Idiot," Brin scoffed, punching his shoulder. "You scared me half to death, you know, letting yourself get clobbered like that."

"Pfft. Next time I'll dodge and let you take the clobbering," he retorted. "Would that be better?"

"Yes, because the stupid, lumbering beast would never even catch me."

Link rolled his eyes and cleared his throat pointedly. "Ok, you two, we're still on duty and you still have an audience," he said, gesturing to the princess and royal advisor who were both watching the exchange with expressions of great amusement on their faces. "Sorry about them," he added apologetically.

"It's quite alright," Princess Zelda replied graciously. "I believe we can make exceptions to protocol when near death experiences have occurred."

Link grinned with a small bow. "As you wish, princess. Now, I think it would be a good idea if we get back to the castle as soon as possible."

"Indeed," the princess sighed. "Knowing my father, he may send the entire garrison out to find us if we don't get back soon."

The small party continued on their way, quickly reaching the outskirts of Castle Town with no further incident.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I probably could have left this chapter out to get to the more dramatic events quicker, but ever since I played AOC, I wanted a reason to incorporate Zelda's clunky sheikah slate battle style into a pre-calamity BOTW fic. So here we are ;D


	4. An Audience With The King

The sanctum of Hyrule Castle was a marvel of Hylian craftsmanship and architecture, with high cathedral ceilings featuring elaborate frescoes detailing Hyrule's history all the way back to the goddess Hylia and her chosen hero. Intricately carved arches spanned the width of the cavernous chamber and elegant stained glass windows cast a lovely rose tinted glow over the entire room. Truthfully, it was one of Princess Zelda's favorite places in the castle, filled to overflowing with beauty and elegance, even if it did hold bittersweet memories from before her mother had been taken from her into the goddess's arms. 

Memories of the radiant queen of Hyrule sitting on her throne and ruling over her subjects with kindness and grace, the king who loved her seated beside while young Zelda proudly brought frogs and bugs she'd captured for their approval. Zelda sighed. Truly, it had been a simpler time.

The Princess of Hyrule studied the frescoes high above where she stood, her gaze drifting along the painted history of her people as she nervously awaited her father's arrival. She understood all too well that being addressed by the king in the sanctum under the watchful eye of every member of the Hylian court was serious business. The knowledge that Lady Impa and the knight from her guard detail would be present was a small comfort, since whatever this was about was sure to involve them as well. 

Zelda had barely smiled a greeting at her friend and the young hylian knight when the royal caller stationed beside the thrones above slammed the butt of his halberd to the ground. 

Once. Twice. Three times.

"All kneel for the entrance of His Royal Majesty King Rhoam Bosphoramous Hyrule!" Trumpets blasted a regal tune, announcing the arrival of the king as they echoed in every corner of the cavernous chamber.

As was dictated by protocol, Link and Impa both quickly took a step behind the princess and sank to one knee, heads respectfully bowed as the king stepped onto the balcony above. As princess of Hyrule and daughter of the king, Zelda was, of course, an exception to this protocol.

Though Zelda loved her father very much, King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule had an air about him that intimidated even the princess gifted with Hylia's own blessing. He was tall and broad shouldered with a fierce glint in his eye that immediately told anyone in the vicinity that he was not a man to be trifled with. His very stature demanded respect, and very few ever dared to cross him, Zelda included. Most of the time.

"Are these the two who saved your life yesterday?" 

Zelda pursed her lips to hide her smile as simple greetings and pleasantries were foregone, moving straight to his purpose for this meeting. "Yes, father," she replied, swallowing hard before quickly adding, "There were two other knights who also fought bravely, but Sir Link was in command and was the one who defeated the moblins."

"Sir Link?" The king was half muttering to himself, thoughtful a moment. "The moblin slayer from Hyrule Field? Interesting." What, precisely, was so interesting, Zelda had no idea. "Of course," he continued, his tone growing louder and taking on a barbed edge that immediately told her to brace herself for a reprimand. "Your life may not have needed saving had you been focusing on your training instead of making unnecessary trips outside the castle so you could continue playing at being a scholar, hmm?"

Zelda cringed, making a face at the loaded question. It was beyond frustrating to have him reprimand her in the presence of the nobility. He was always going on and on about the gossip mongers, but failed to understand that perhaps he was the one feeding the rumor mill.

She was quiet a moment before she replied, tilting her chin up slightly and forcing calm into her voice as it threatened to betray her with a quaver. "I am doing all that I can. I tended to my prayers and my studies in the early hours of the morning, precisely as prescribed by the priestesses." She smoothed her skirts and clasped her hands primly before her, adding, "And I only made the trip to the lab because the researchers sent word that they needed to upgrade my Sheikah slate, which I believe we can both agree is necessary if we ever hope to be able to utilize the Divine Beasts."

The king said nothing, unblinkingly holding her steady gaze, his lips tightening as he considered her.

"Lady Impa? Sir Link?" He finally spoke, and Zelda inwardly sighed with relief as he dropped the subject and turned his attention to their guests, his voice echoing around the cavernous room. "Please rise."

Without turning, Zelda could hear the rustle of fabric and clanking of armor that indicated her companions' obedience.

"Lady Impa," King Rhoam began. "Once more, I am in your debt for your service to Hyrule, both personally and on behalf of your clan. You have my sincere gratitude."

"It is an honor to serve, your majesty," the young Sheikah woman murmured with a bow.

"And Sir Link," his gaze shifted, pinning the young knight down beneath it. "I would like to formally commend you on your performance, both in the battle of Hyrule field and in your efforts to ensure the safety of my daughter yesterday evening. Your name has been spoken in my presence quite a few times in recent days, and I'm beginning to think that perhaps a formal appointment shall be in order. For now, however, you will receive an official commendation. Please accept my gratitude on behalf of the kingdom, myself and my daughter."

Zelda's smile tightened ever so slightly at this. She couldn't explain why, but something about the way he praised this knight after publicly reprimanding her irritated her. Rationally, she knew she couldn't blame the young man. He'd simply been doing his job, but a small irrational part of her was angry that he received a commendation and a possible promotion while the progress she'd made in her research was completely disregarded, mocked even. Shoving these thoughts away, she made sure her smile projected serenity, as she'd been trained.

Link, unaware of the princess's annoyance, simply bowed, speaking the words ingrained into his mind through his own years of training, "It is an honor to serve, your majesty."

King Rhoam nodded, accepting the knight's declaration of loyalty. He opened his mouth, looking ready to dismiss them all when Zelda remembered she had actual business to discuss with him that did not include her bitter feelings.

"Father, if I may?" Zelda interjected quickly before he could speak. "Lady Impa has some important information to share while she's here. Regarding the divine beasts."

King Rhoam's expression betrayed only a flicker of surprise, likely only noticed by his daughter, but nodded, gesturing for the young Sheikah woman to speak. Zelda turned to her friend and smiled encouragingly. "Please, Lady Impa. Tell us what you've found." The princess was quite eager to hear this news herself as Impa had barely time enough to even mention the discovery just before the king arrived.

"Your majesty," Impa began, clearing her throat and speaking so he would be able to hear her from his position in the balcony. "Just yesterday, our researchers in the clan archives discovered vital information regarding the Calamity of 10,000 years ago. As you know, we have not yet been able to enter the divine beasts. According to the documents and memoirs we found, only the pilot can initially enter the beast and even then, they will only be admitted once they have established a bond of mutual trust and understanding."

The king's eyebrows furrowed and his great white mustache twitched as he pursed his lips together thoughtfully. "And how, may I ask, does one form such a bond with a machine?"

"According to the documents, a trial will appear once the pilot candidate attempts to activate the beast for the first time. Once the pilot successfully completes the trial, only then will they be allowed to bond with their beast. Once the bond is solidified, the beast will know their pilot and _should,_ in theory, allow them entry."

Zelda listened wide eyed, fascinated with any and all information about the divine beasts. It had been a severe disappointment to discover that they could not begin tests on the ancient machines immediately after unearthing them, however, it was exciting to know that they were almost certainly on the verge of a breakthrough! 

"Hmmm..." The king hummed, tapping his chin as he thought out loud. "Somehow this reminds me of the legendary sword and how it will only allow the chosen one to wield it." He paused, his gaze shifting briefly to his daughter before moving back to the Sheikah advisor. "I suppose this means that we would be wise to recruit these pilots as soon as possible in order that we may work together to finally learn more about these divine beasts."

"Indeed, our clan elder thought so too," Impa agreed. "So in order to facilitate this, she has sent dossiers of the most likely candidates for your review, assembled with the help of our ambassadors." 

"Excellent. Please leave them with my daughter and we shall review them post haste. Once again, I thank you, Lady Impa." 

Zelda straightened to her full height as King Rhoam turned his full attention to his daughter. "Zelda, as the Princess of Hyrule and possessor of the sealing power, these champions will be yours to command in your efforts to defend Hyrule from the coming calamity. So, you will depart as soon as possible for the four races. Your task is to recruit the most promising candidate to complete the trials and become the champion of their people."

"Yes. Of course, Father," the princess murmured with a respectful nod of her head. "I had intended to spend a few days training at the Temple of Time next week, but, it may be for the best to postpone my training and visit the temple after I recruit the champions."

The king considered this a moment, stroking his long white beard as his gaze rested on his daughter.

"Yes," he said slowly, "While I would typically prefer for you to take every training opportunity sooner rather than later, I do believe that recruiting the champions first and visiting the temple before your return to the castle would be for the best in this case. Now then," he looked between the three of them, tilting his chin up just a bit. "That is settled. If there is no further business to discuss, you are dismissed."

Once the royal caller had declared the meeting closed and slammed his staff on the floor, the young hylian knight turned to the princess and bowed before taking his leave. "Good day, your highness." He turned to Impa, who was standing beside the princess. "Lady Impa." Turning on his heel, he marched quickly from the room. 

Zelda watched him leave, her earlier irritation forgotten as a small smile curved her lips. She couldn't help but notice how good the knights looked in their armor and how this particular knight's perfectly messy ponytail and brilliant blue eyes were somehow rather attractive and intriguing all at once.

Impa cleared her throat pointedly. "I saw that." She smirked, raising an accusatory eyebrow at the princess.

Confused, Zelda turned to her royal advisor, eyebrows knit together. "Saw what?"

"The way you were watching him. With great interest, I might add."

"What?!" Zelda squeaked, her cheeks immediately turning pink as her eyes went wide. "Of course I wasn't. I mean—sure, I admire him. He did save my life, after all." She tried to shrug in a casual manner, but her racing heart and flustered wringing of her hands gave her away.

"Mmhmm. Right." Impa spoke in a manner that told Zelda she was clearly skeptical.

"You are terrible. You do understand that, right?" 

With a wide grin, Impa replied, "Oh yes, but only to my friends who are in denial. Anyways, I must be off. Grandmother has important training for me to tend to in the village. Something about rounding up a bunch of wild cuccos. You're jealous, I know."

Zelda knew Impa was teasing her, but wished she could communicate just how much she envied her friend. Perhaps rounding up cuccos in a quiet village was not the most exciting task in the world, but what would it be like to live with only the burden of saving a few feathered foul rather than the entire world upon her shoulders?

Rather than voice these idle thoughts, the princess instead rolled her eyes playfully. "Absolutely. Incredibly jealous," she agreed, laughing. "Please give my regards to your grandmother." 

Once Impa had left, Zelda also left the sanctum. She had no further appointments that day, and briefly considered how she might spend the rest of her afternoon. Of course, she probably _should_ be spending her time reading ancient poetry or practicing her rote prayers. Maybe reading up on the holy springs she would be making a pilgrimage to later that year? Or even making preparations for her imminent departure.

But her heart wasn't in it. As she drifted aimlessly about the castle grounds, her mind lost in thoughts about her coming task, her feet carried her to a large courtyard just outside the guard barracks where Sheikah researchers ran tests on some of the guardians. When she pulled herself from the fog of her thoughts and realized where she was, her eyes lit up and she came to a stop, enraptured with the ancient technology that they'd unearthed. Her heart longed to study it in depth, to learn each and every one of it's secrets. And study it she would. Once her more pressing duties were complete, she would dive into her research and seek the answers they were so desperately needing.

"Why, Princess Zelda! May I say that you are looking more radiant than ever?"

A smooth tenor voice pulled the princess from her musings. Turning, a smile curved across her lips at the sight of the royal court poet, a young Sheikah man just a few years older than she who had recently been appointed to the position when the former bard had retired.

"Oh! Master Sindri! What a very kind thing to say!" Zelda touched a gloved hand to her cheek, blushing.

Zelda had been fully in favor of the appointment, urging her father to not overlook his blossoming talent because of his young age. The bard often performed at mealtimes and had shared songs and poetry recitals at many a royal function in the months since his appointment to the royal staff. Truly, his youthfulness was a breath of fresh air among the older, stuffy members of the court she was accustomed to interacting with.

"I speak only the truth, your highness," Sindri replied with a deep bow. He spoke with a dramatic lilt that added a sort of musical flair to every word he uttered. Zelda wondered if it was exhausting to perform so every waking moment of the day. 

The young bard straightened, his expression soft and concerned in a way that threatened to bring yet another blush to the princess's cheeks as he cast an assessing gaze over her. "Forgive me for being so forward, your highness, but I couldn't help but notice that you appear to be a bit out of sorts. Shall I play a song to lift your spirits?"

Eyebrows flicking upwards, Zelda hid her surprise, smoothing her features and holding a hand up, palm out as she shook her head slowly. "I am sorry, Master Sindri. I am simply distracted by my upcoming travels. And as much as I find your songs to be a comfort, I am afraid I have to much on my mind to give you the proper audience. Perhaps you could share a song in the supper hour?"

Before Sindri could reply, a pair of gauntlet clad hands roughly shoved the poet so that he stumbled several steps backwards, falling on his rear end in a patch of grass and with a gentleness that betrayed the urgency of the situation, those same hands pulled the princess, whirling her around so she ended up several steps away from where she had been standing. 

"What in Hylia's name—?!" Zelda gasped, startled from being forcefully moved in such a way. What was going on?

A chorus of panicked shouts rose from both researchers and knights alike as a guardian skittered passed her, plowing a path directly through where she had been standing just moments before and crashing into the castle wall with an almighty clatter.

"Your highness!" It was Sir Link who spoke in a low, urgent voice as he looked her over. "Are you ok?!"

A hush had fallen over the courtyard and all eyes were on her.

"I am quite alright," she assured him, resting a hand over her heart as she caught her breath. "It seems I owe you my life once again, Sir Link."

"I'm not so sure about that," the young knight replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "Just doing my job. I'm sorry if I scared you."

Zelda couldn't help but smile at the sheepish expression. "I suppose it can be forgiven considering the fact that you prevented me from becoming trampled by yet another guardian."

Link smirked. "Technically, the guardian from yesterday was trying to blast you. It had no legs."

"True," she laughed a soft, bell chime laugh. "All the same, I still thank you for your assistance."

"I too am alright, in case anyone was wondering!" An irritated voice from behind startled both knight and princess.

Whirling around, Zelda gasped. "Oh! Master Sindri! Are you quite alright? I hope that guardian didn't frighten you too much?"

The poet blinked, huffing a breath as he struggled to his feet before reapplying his signature blinding smile, though not before directing the briefest flicker of a glare towards the Hylian knight. "Frightened? Me? Of course not! Though, I must say, your heroics were quite extraordinary, your highness. I owe you my eternal thanks for saving my life!"

Zelda smiled, shaking her head. "This was all Sir Link. But, I'm glad that you are well." Her gaze shifted to the now deactivated guardian that had gone rogue just a moment before, watching a moment as the researcher tinkered with it. "The guardians contain fascinating technology and I believe they will make all the difference in the coming calamity, but I am afraid we don't know enough yet and that makes them a bit unpredictable."

Sindri smiled softly, something in the way his gaze lingered over her making Zelda uneasy. "I'm afraid I will have to disagree with you, your highness. It is your power that will make all the difference in the coming calamity, mark my words. I will be composing ballads of your deeds until I am old and grey."

And just like that, the lovely distraction from her worries had vanished and Zelda's stomach twisted itself into a knot. She liked the young poet, truly she did, but he was single minded, much like the majority of the court. She felt like a weapon in everyone's eyes. And a broken weapon at that. They all cared about one thing. Her power. Power that she had thus far failed to awaken, and therefore made her a failure. 

Swallowing hard, she forced her smile back into place. "I hope you're right," she said softly, pausing a moment before clearing her throat and speaking more briskly. "But, I really must be going. I am to depart for Zora Domain with the rising of the sun and have many preparations to make."

"Oh, but of course! I apologize for keeping you," he smiled warmly and took her hand, kissing her knuckles. "As always, it was a pleasure talking with you. Farewell, your highness."

"Safe travels, your highness," Link said, bowing low. "And watch out for rogue guardians," he added with a smirk and a wink as he straightened.

"I most certainly will," Princess Zelda replied with a chuckle. "Master Sindri. Sir Link." She nodded to each one before turning and taking her leave, not noticing the piercing blue gaze following her, nor the baleful glare the poet shot at the young knight before turning and stomping away with a huff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think, canonically speaking, Link was supposed to shield Zelda from a misfired guardian blast, but since he did that in chapter 1, I took some liberties and made it a rampaging guardian. Plus having Link actually do something aside from merely existing to earn the poet's ire appealed to me.


	5. A Foray Into the Lost Woods

As planned, the princess departed for her visit to the four races of Hyrule, and Link's daily life went back to some semblance of normal. No more moblins or hordes of bokoblins. No more rogue guardians. No more princesses keeping him on edge. 

He had guard duty, daily physical training with the other knights, sparring practice with his friends, and three meals a day in the mess hall. Things had been completely uneventful, and—aside from receiving a letter from his father—really quite dull. 

That is, until he found himself standing at attention in his commander's office, receiving yet another a special assignment. His task was to gather a team and investigate rumors of unusual monster activity in the Great Forest. 

Link couldn't say that the great forest was his favorite place. He knew the stories that told about Hylians going in who never came out, and he knew of the thick, gloomy mists that seemed to seep into your very soul. He wasn't interested in becoming lost to the mists for all eternity, and simply sent up a prayer to the goddess that he and his friends would be preserved as they took on this dangerous quest.

As the small group of knights trekked into the forest, Link noticed that there was not a leaf to be found on most of the trees and many had gaping maws, looking for all the world as if they might spring to life and devour anyone who came too close. Oddly enough, the forest floor boasted a thick carpet of long grasses dotted with wild flowers swaying eerily in the breeze. Link wondered how the flowers managed to thrive in spite of the severe lack of sunlight. 

"Remind me again why we're walking into a cursed forest intent on stealing our souls?" Brin asked, smirking as she shot Link a sidelong glance.

"Because I was given an order." Link shrugged.

"And did that order include us?" Camin asked, squinting his eyes and peering into the mists, but seeing nothing but the same formless swirls as always.

"No," Link replied easily. "But I thought that if I'm going to lose my soul or be murdered by huge, creepy trees, there's no one else I'd rather have by my side than you two."

"Well, that's friendship for you," Brin laughed, ducking under a low lying tree branch. "And how do you intend for us to not get lost?"

"Razor sharp instincts," Link deadpanned, pressing his lips together so as not to laugh. 

"Riiight—" Camin shook his head, skeptical. "You got those from your old man, didn't you?"

"Something like that," Link smirked. "By the way, he said in his last letter to tell you both 'hello' and that he hopes you haven't been causing too much trouble."

"Pfft." Brin laughed. "Knight Commander Taran should know better than anyone that you're the real troublemaker. It's always the quiet ones."

"I learned everything I know from you," he shot back.

"Damn straight." Brin nodded in satisfaction. "So, how is the old man, anyways?"

"Eh. Same as always." Link shrugged. "Apparently having an entire citadel under your command is a demanding job. He said a hinox has been trying to move into the parade grounds, they've had a hell of a time trying to chase it off."

"A hinox, really?" Camin made a face. "They're having that much trouble with a hinox?"

"I guess it's one of those big black ones. They're mean as hornets and tough as nails."

"Still, they should just unleash the three of us on it and we'd take it down. Just like that!" Camin snapped, grinning over at Brin. "Am I right?"

"Sure, sure," she said easily. "Not that I'm looking to chase after a great smelly giant, mind you, but sure. Everyone knows the eye is their weak point and that's a pretty big damn target for the best sharpshooter in the army."

"Your modesty knows know bounds," Link laughed.

"Wait! Did you hear that?" Camin reached out an arm blocking Link's way and forcing him to stop as he cocked head to one side, straining to listen.

Link froze, drawing his sword, tensed as his eyes flitted from side to side, seeking out any sign of trouble, or any kind of sentient life. He perked up, his ears twitching at the sound of a childish giggle piercing through the pressing silence. "It—sounds like—a child's laughter?" 

"Laughter?" Camin raised an eyebrow. "Uhh—I didn't hear any laughter. Just a weird rustling in the grass."

"Are you sure it wasn't just the wind, genius?" Brin rolled her eyes, elbowing him in the side. 

"No, I'm not sure," he retorted, shooting a withering look in her direction. "That's why I asked."

But Link was certain he'd heard a giggle. It was gone now, but there was no denying what he'd heard. "Huh. Well, that's weird. I don't see anything, so we should probably keep moving."

What he hadn't voiced out loud was that an odd twisting feeling had formed in the pit of his stomach. It was subtle, almost a small tug. His instincts told him that he was going the right direction and as long as he paid attention to the tug, they would be fine. 

"So, what are we looking for, anyways?" Camin finally asked after they'd moved along a few moments in silence.

"Unusual monster activity."

"Unusual monster activity? What does that even mean?" Brin scoffed, rolling her eyes with a rather unladylike snort. "There's been unusual monster activity all over Hyrule for months now. None of it is unusual anymore, is it?"

"No, but I guess they suspect an outpost may be hidden here in the woods and we need to know if this is a spawning point. It would explain why they keep taking us by surprise in this region."

"So it's our job to find it." It wasn't a question. 

Camin nodded, raising his torch a bit higher and kicking aside a piece of loose wood at his feet. "Yep. Wait—" 

A flicker of movement caught Link's eye and he paused, his eyes narrowing as he peered into the distance. "Do you see that? There's something in the grass just ahead." 

Link could see a tiny little—well, he wasn't sure what it was. Honestly, it looked like a chunk of a tree branch hopping around. And was it—giggling? 

"No?" Brin scrunched her eyes, peering in the direction Link had pointed, even going so far as to take a few steps forward. "I don't see anything?"

"It's literally hopping around at your feet!" Link insisted, hurrying over and squatting down to get a closer look. The creature simply giggled once more and darted away, farther into the forest. 

"Bro, there's nothing there," Camin contradicted. "Are you sure the mist isn't playing tricks on your eyes?"

"Do mists usually giggle too?" Link muttered, gesturing for them to follow as he started towards where the creature had skittered off to. Who knew? Maybe it was connected to the monsters? Though somehow he didn't think so. His instincts told him to follow. "But whatever, maybe I am just imagining things. Let's go."

Brin had pulled out her bow, and kept an arrow knocked as they moved along. After a few moments, she relaxed a bit and glanced at Link with a grin. "So, speaking of seeing things—"

Link groaned before she could even finish the statement. Between the grin and her tone, he just _knew_ that whatever she was about to say was going to involve him and probably make him blush.

"Did my eyes deceive me," she continued, her eyes dancing with laughter. "Or did I witness the princess get all flustered and blushy around you the other day in the training yard?"

"Ooh, you know, I was wondering that too!" Camin added, casting a roguish smirk at his friend.

Link snorted. "Get your eyes checked, both of you. It wasn't anything like that. She was just thankful that she didn't get trampled by a guardian, that's all."

"More like, she swooned when you jumped in to save the day like the dashing hero you are, embracing a beautiful girl and preening under her adoring gaze as she melted in your arms at sunset."

"Goddess, have you been reading those ridiculous romance novels again?" Link scoffed, shaking his head in mock disgust. "You know how they tend to fill your head with romantic rubbish."

"They are not rubbish! And no! I know what I saw! Ugh. Shut up, you!" Brin whirled round with a glare and punched Camin in the shoulder as he snorted a laugh at Link's comment. Camin yelped, ducking of his head repentently—though Link could see his shoulders shaking as he fought the urge to continue laughing.

Link huffed a sigh, trudging through the thick knee length grass, the only sound the clanking of armor and the padded rustling of grass being crushed beneath their feet. He needed to keep his wits about him in the dangerous forest, not be distracted by impossible fantasies about the princess of Hyrule. 

Flickers of movement in the mists caught his attention. "Wait." he said, signaling to the other two to stop. He thought he saw more of the little wooden creatures darting between trees. Whispers and giggles and the occasional squeak that sounded like the word "hero" pricked his ears. Link couldn't believe that his companions couldn't hear or see any of it. There was a reason he trusted them to watch his back—they were usually just as observant as he was, so the fact that they weren't hearing these extra sounds in the forest was incredibly odd. 

"What is it, boss?" Camin asked, nonplussed.

"I—are you sure you can't see those little creatures hanging from the trees up ahead?" 

Brin squinted in the direction he was pointing, straining to see something that just wasn't there. "Link. Seriously. There's nothing there."

A shrill jabbering giggle caught his attention and his head snapped to the left where he saw another one of the creatures hovering mid air, clinging to a leaf that was rotating in such a way as to keep floating above the ground. The invisible call had shifted, now pulling him in that direction even though it was completely off the path they'd been following. 

"Unless—" Brin started slowly, tapping her chin thoughtfully. 

"Unless—what?" Link raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Well, I've read about fairies living in the woods. Apparently only the 'pure of heart' can see them."

Camin snorted. "That explains everything. We all know Link is the purest and most innocent of all of us."

"Goddess, would you shut up!" Link muttered, earning a chorus of laughter from his friends. Though the jab at his, whatever it was Camin was on about, was irritating, he couldn't help but wonder if Brin wasn't onto something. Though he didn't know what was meant by "pure of heart". He didn't think he was particularly pure.

He huffed once again through his nose. "But—maybe you're onto something. Come on."

Camin and Brin exchanged an amused look, but didn't argue as they made a sharp left turn into denser foliage and a thicker fog. 

"Er—are you sure this is the way you want to go?" Brin asked. "I can't see a thing. Din's breath, I can barely see _you_ through this fog."

The tugging in his middle was becoming stronger, a near irresistible siren song that Link thought may be related to the strange woodland creatures. The tugging was so insistent he could almost hear it calling his name—whatever _it_ was. 

And therein lay the mystery. Was this simply his instincts telling him he was close to his goal? Or something else entirely? 

The three knights continued through the swirling mist until they hit a dead end. An enormous log blocked their path, thick, thorny shrubs growing at the base of a cluster of boulders on either side. 

"So—umm—the path is blocked," Camin observed.

"You don't say." Link rolled his eyes. He glared at the wall before him, his eyebrows furrowed together, certain beyond a doubt this was the way and if they diverted from the path, something terrible would happen. 

"Maybe—" Brina started, eyeing the obstacles closely. "Maybe we can climb over it?" She put her bow away and moved towards the enormous log. The strange thing was that it looked like it had been sawn cleanly through—odd considering its remote location. Brin reached up with one arm to feel for a hand hold and did the same with her foot. As she went to lean into the wooden wall, however, she just kept going, falling through the wall with a shout of surprise, disappearing altogether.

"Brin!" Both Link and Camin shouted in unison. Link's heart was racing, and without a further thought he impulsively charged at the wall, running straight through and tripping over something on the other side, taking a tumble. Quick thinking and years of training had him instinctively tucking his shoulder in as he rolled through the fall, getting to his feet in one smooth motion. He turned to see what he'd tripped over.

It was Brin.

"Ouch! Watch it, you big dummy!" she complained from where she'd fallen to the ground. They were inside what appeared to be a hollowed out tree trunk.

"Well, excuuuse me!" Link retorted in reply to the name calling. "So um—I guess the wall was an illusion?" Link offered a hand to help her out as he looked around. There appeared to be sunshine at the other end of the tunnel. He wanted to go check it out, but first— "Um, reach through there and grab Camin, will you? I imagine he's probably lost without us."

Brin, knowing he was right, snorted and reached blindly past the illusion, feeling for Camin's armor, grinning as he cried out in a panic at the sight of her disembodied hand. Yanking him into the tunnel beside them, she laughed at the shock on his face. "Glad you could join us," she teased.

"Where are we and what in Farosh's saggy left scale was that?" he demanded, still looking a bit panicked after having just watched both of his friends vanish before his eyes.

"We are on the other side of the wall, obviously. The wall which isn't actually a wall. It's an illusion." Brin explained with the air of one teaching a child that two plus two equals four. 

Link spotted another one of those creatures was bouncing excitedly about half way down the tunnel, beckoning for them to follow. Without another word, he followed the tiny creature, Camin and Brin at his heels as they walked to the end of the tunnel and out into the sunshine. 

Link couldn't help but gape at the scene before him. The forest had completely changed, whereas a moment ago he'd been surrounded by mist shrouded trees bathed in a dim blue light. Now he'd walked into what felt like a completely different forest. The sunlight filtering through the treetops left warm patches of dappled light scattered across the forest floor—which was still the same knee length, wildflower speckled ground covering as before, only much more beautiful in the light of day. The overall ambiance was warm and inviting. Truly, he'd been in forests all over Hyrule and they all paled in comparison to this one.

More of the little woodfolk scampered about, leaping through the grass, floating through the breeze on leaves, all of them watching him with great interest. The whispers and giggles drifted in the air around him. 

What was more, the tugging in his middle was near overwhelming, as if some creature had gotten itself trapped inside him and it was frantic to get out. It almost made him feel a bit ill. 

Following its call, he continued forward, stepping on a path of large stones leading to a large tree stump situated in the middle of a clearing. His eyes narrowed as he examined the stump, something was sticking out of it and he knew instinctively that it was the source of the siren song.

"Goddess, is that—" Brin breathed, wide eyed as they all three clambered up onto the tree stump that Link now recognized as the forest's version of a dais.

"It's the master sword!" Camin finished, awestruck. 

Link said nothing, freezing in place as the sword suddenly glowed brightly in response to his proximity. He looked over his shoulder, meeting the shocked and awestruck gazes of his friends. What did this mean?

"I've been expecting you, young hero." 

A deep voice startled Link. It was coming from the massive tree directly behind the sword and seemed to be yawning widely. Link took a quick step away from the sword, his own sword drawn as he looked up. The groaning of wood moving in a way it was not meant to sounded through the serene clearing as the tree itself moved, huge sections of its bark pulling back to reveal enormous eyes and a mouth. Link had seen a lot of wild things in his young life, but he'd never spoken to a tree before.

"Er—I'm sorry," Link said, adrenaline pulsing through his veins from the shock of being addressed by a tree. "But, are you talking to—me?"

"Hmm...indeed," the tree said in a slow, baritone voice, sounding for all the world like a sleepy grandfather. "I, the Great Deku Tree, have slumbered here for many ages, watching over the Master Sword and waiting for the Hero of Legend to find their way here to claim their destiny."

Raising a skeptical eyebrow, Link said, "But I am not—a hero? And definitely not THE hero. I just happened to be in the forest because I had orders—"

"Are you not?" the bark on the tree shifted and Link could have sworn the tree raised an eyebrow back at him. "So tell me then, young warrior, have you not been following the children of the forest? Have you not heard the call of the sword within you from the moment you stepped foot into the mists?"

Link stared, his mind spinning with the implications of what this old tree was telling him. Without turning away, he muttered to Brin and Camin behind him, "Er—are you two seeing and hearing all of this? Or am I losing my mind?"

"Oh, we see it," Brin said, her voice barely above a whisper as she stared up at the ancient tree.

Swallowing hard, Link replied to the Deku Tree, "Ok, so yes. To both of your questions. I've seen the little creatures that my friends could not see. Brin said they were probably some kind of fairy and only the pure of heart would be able to see them."

"Indeed, she is correct. As the one who possesses the soul of the hero, your heart is consumed with courage, one of the sacred traits revered throughout the ages."

"Courage? More like recklessness," Camin snickered.

"Hush, you!" Brin hissed, elbowing him in the gap beneath his chestplate. 

"Ouch!"

Link ignored them, too focused on what the ancient tree was telling him. It was a lot to take in—he was just Link. Sure, the Hero of Legend was always named Link. But Link was a popular boy's name in Hyrule, as was Zelda for the girls. But for _him_ to be _the_ hero—how could the Deku Tree know? Like _really_ know?

"I sense you have doubts, young one—a wise and humble trait. Though I would caution you against allowing doubts to lead you astray. If you doubt my words, there is one sure way to know for certain. The sword can only be pulled from its resting place by the one who possesses the soul of the Hero. If one of your companions attempted to pull the sword for themselves, they would suffer grave injury."

In his gut, Link knew the Deku tree spoke truth. Somehow, he just _knew_ that it was the sword calling to him. 

"You say I was destined for this, but—do I have a choice? Or is this all some grand scheme orchestrated by the goddesses?"

"We always have a choice," the Deku Tree replied simply. "And every choice has a consequence."

Link understood that if he accepted the call—that would mean—well, everyone knew the legends of the Hero of Hyrule from childhood. It was taught in school and every mother and grandmother told the tales to their children at bedtime. The Hero's job was to defeat Ganon and help the princess to seal the beast away. And if he accepted the call as _the_ hero, that would mean he was destined to defeat Ganon.

If he truly was chosen and didn't accept the call, then Ganon would win before he'd even come back. Link loved his kingdom and had a fierce desire to protect the helpless and the innocent. That was one thing that had driven him to become a knight from a young age. 

If this was all true, then Link felt he truly had no choice—even if the idea that he was destined for this or that he had the soul of some long dead guy was still weird. 

He eyed the sword and moved to stand directly before it. The sword glowed a brilliant blue white in reply, causing Link to squint against the brightness. 

"The sword will test you," the tree explained. "You must prove your will is strong and your heart courageous if you are to successfully pull the sword."

Swallowing hard, Link glanced back at his friends, their encouraging nods giving him the push he needed to reach for his alleged destiny.

As his hands wrapped around the pommel, he could feel power flow through him, though it wasn't strengthening him. Quite the opposite. He could feel his energy draining as he pulled on the sword with all of his might. 

The sword moved a few inches, the blue white light sparking from it, fighting against his pull every second of the way and growing brighter by the second. 

Link grunted and doubled his efforts, squinting against the bright light.. He was not about to let a sword defeat him. It moved a bit more, he could tell it was holding onto his resting place by the tips of its proverbial fingers. 

Just when he thought he may have no choice but to submit to the sword, it released! A blinding flash of light erupted from it, filling the entire forest, possibly beyond. Eyes scrunched shut against the brightness, Link stumbled back a few steps, the gleaming blade in his possession.

For a split moment, upon taking possession of the blade, his sense of the forest around him vanished and flashes of memories that did not belong to him flickered through his mind. A still small voice spoke into his mind, explaining the entire history of the cursed cycle and the Hero, the Princess and the darkness that was Ganon. The voice told him of his destiny and what he was meant to do. The voice told him what would happen if he failed—showing him visions of a ravaged Hyrule and people dying. 

Just as quickly as it had come, the visions shifted to the back of his mind and the voice quieted. Link gasped as his sight was returned to him, clutching his head with his free hand.

Panting from the effort, Link could sense the sword releasing the energy it had stolen from him. He held the sword out with one hand, examining the etching on the blade and the molding of the pommel. It truly was an extraordinary weapon, and he could sense there was more to it than good craftsmanship. It was truly rare, a goddess blessed blade. 

The tree yawned widely, mumbling its next words, "A mighty slumber that even I cannot resist beckons me. You have what you need to face your destiny, now—go forth, Young Hero, and defend Hyrule. Protect the Princess." 

The tree closed its eyes and became still once more.

As if in a daze, Link turned to face his friends who both stared wide eyed and open mouthed at him.

Camin broke the shocked silence, "So—Hero of Hyrule, eh? Can I have your autograph? Or are you too famous now?"

"Yeah! And now that you're a big shot hero, does that mean we can't be your friends anymore?" Brin asked, wiping imaginary tears from her eyes. "Are we destined to become the Link fanclub and talk to you only through fan mail?"

"Ugh, just stop," Link groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It's just a sword. Nothing has changed. I'm still just Link. I don't even think I have to do anything until the calamity gets here and who knows when that will be."

He was rambling, a near panicked edge to his voice as he spoke quickly, his pitch a bit higher than usual. Link fully accepted whatever destiny awaited him, but the fact was that he was still just a regular guy. This would take some time to process.

"Er—I'm not sure that's how it works, but whatever you say, Just Link." Brin shrugged. "Seriously though, all joking aside. We've been friends a long time and we've got your back through whatever happens next."

Link smiled, a spark of relief flowing through him, forcing the panic to calm slightly.

"Thanks," he said, sighing as he held the blade out before him, eyeing it once more, thinking that the weight of it was much heavier than it looked. "So—you don't think we have to like tell anyone about this, do we?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...the book "Making of a Champion" implies that Link may have had the sword for a few years before the calamity, but it's nothing definitive. And AOC doesn't have Link pulling the sword after the champions are recruited. I have decided to mash these two scenarios together and come up with my own take on the sword's arrival.


	6. Princess Zelda and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Link had been right, in a way. As it turned out, he did not have to tell anyone about the sword. For, you see, the moment the sword was pulled from its resting place, the light it released did not simply fill the clearing, no. The entire Great Forest became ablaze with its blinding, holy light and could be seen from all over Hyrule. 

Soon, everyone knew that _something_ had happened in the Great Forest, and it wasn't long after that it was discovered exactly what that something was.

So, for the last week, the castle had been abuzz with rumors and speculation and gossip about the hero. Of course, castle news never stayed within the castle walls for long, and this news was no different. Word quickly spread through the usual gossip channels to every corner of Hyrule. Everyone knew that the Hero had appeared.

Everyone, that is, except for the princess. 

Princess Zelda had successfully completed her journey to recruit the four champions and had spent the better part of the past week cloistered away in the Temple of Time, literally knee deep in holy water and fervent prayers in yet another fruitless attempt at awakening the golden power slumbering within her. She had originally planned to stay for just three days, but stubbornness and willpower and a desperate hope that "just one more hour" would finally make the difference. The temple priestess had finally insisted that the princess cease her rituals and prayers for the time being when she'd passed out in the waters after two days of nonstop prayer and devotions. 

So it was with a heavy heart, filled to overflowing with disappointment and regret, that a rather melancholy Princess Zelda turned her horse back towards home, the contingent of knights who had accompanied her thus far trailing behind. 

The princess had not been on the castle grounds for but a minute before the whispers caught her notice.

"Did you hear?"

—Hero with the sword."

"—seals darkness—"

Those simple, out of context phrases were enough to set a fresh knot of anxiety twisting in her gut, a sense of foreboding and dread washing over her. She needed to freshen up before going to report to her father, who was expecting her, so she forced herself to continue her trek through the castle courtyards, and did not stop to inquire about the whispers. She did, however, purpose to complete her tasks quickly—the sooner she spoke with her father, the sooner she would find out what was going on.

She had made it to the base of the stairwell that would take her to her bedroom when an urgent voice calling her name from behind stopped her.

"Your highness! Princess Zelda!"

"Oh! Master Sindri! Hello!"

The young court poet stood before her, breathless, but positively beaming as he swept his floppy beret from his head and bowed low. "Welcome back, your highness. Your presence was deeply missed here at court."

In spite of the anxiety building in her chest over the unknown rumors, Zelda couldn't help but smile. It was nice to know that in spite of her failure as a princess that _someone_ had missed her. "Thank you. I must confess that it is nice to be back." She worried her lip a moment, wishing to continue the pleasantries, but knowing she needed to meet with the king sooner rather than later. "I do apologize for being short, but my father is expecting me and I must change into appropriate court attire immediately."

"That is actually why I am here, your highness," Sindri said quickly, before she could turn away. "I have come to escort you to the Sanctum. Your presence is required immediately, by order of the King."

Zelda couldn't help but make a face at this. She knew her place and that there were protocols and formalities that must be observed, even between a father and his daughter. But, she had been gone for weeks and it would have been nice to know he cared enough to come find her himself for once, rather than "ordering" her to appear before him and the court—while she was still dressed in her traveling clothes, covered in dust and grit from the road, at that.

"Of course." Sighing, she turned and dismissed her traveling companions, sending them on their way before falling into step beside the bard. 

Master Sindri was quiet for a few steps, carefully maintaining his cultured, calm exterior while sneaking sidelong glances at the princess. Finally, he cleared his throat and said, "I trust your highness had a pleasant journey?"

Zelda smiled sadly, nodding. "Yes, the weather was lovely and each of the villages I visited were quite welcoming." She purposely omitted her experience at the Temple of Time as she was not in the mood to discuss yet another failed attempt at awakening her powers. Truly, she was dreading her father's disappointment as it was, she didn't think she could bear to see her subjects look on her in the same way. 

She let the quiet linger between them a moment before asking the question that was truly gnawing at her insides. "Master Sindri? As the court poet, I imagine you are up on the latest stories and gossip, yes?"

Sindri smiled beatifically. "Indeed, your highness. 'Tis the highest calling of a bard to collect stories, old and new, in order that I might compose poems and ballads to commemorate every important detail of our history, even as it is being made."

Humming thoughtfully, Princess Zelda pursed her lips. "And I would expect nothing less from our court poet." She smiled before continuing, "I was wondering then—as you know, I have been away for several weeks and am quite out of the proverbial loop, as it were. I have heard many whispers about a hero since I've been back. Do you know what they are referring to?"

To Zelda's surprise, the briefest flicker of a glower shaded the poet's expression before he managed to smooth his features and reply, "Oh, did you not hear? Apparently the Hero who wields the sword that seals away the darkness has finally deigned to appear. Not only that, but he is a knight from the castle garrison's own ranks."

"No!" Zelda gasped as her feet stopped moving and she froze in place, her emerald green eyes wide with shock. The vague anxiety that had been gnawing at her core instantly transformed into a rock, sitting heavy in the pit of her stomach. Panic and dread threatened to sweep her away like waves on the sands.

The Hero had come. That meant the calamity was coming, and she was out of time.

"Your highness?" Sindri asked, peering closely at her, concern etched over his features. "You seem a bit faint, shall I call for help?"

"I—no—no thank you," Zelda shook her head to clear it, speaking quickly. She had to pull herself together. Falling apart like this was completely unacceptable. It had been drilled into her from an early age that as royalty, putting on a facade of serenity before the court, no matter the inner turmoil, was of the utmost importance. The gossips invented enough fantasies about her on their own, she must not give them fuel for their rumor mongering. "My apologies," she smoothed her tunic, brushing an invisible bit of dust from her sleeve as she took a moment to calm her expression. "The news simply came as a bit of a shock, that is all. Come, let us continue to the Sanctum before my father becomes impatient, yes?"

"Her highness is as wise as she is beautiful," Sindri replied with a dramatic sweeping gesture, indicating that she should go first.

A few minutes and a bit of small talk about the weather later, the pair arrived at the Sanctum and Zelda bid the young poet farewell before she paused, closing her eyes and inhaling sharply to steel herself for whatever was to come. 

The king was already present, standing at the rail of the balcony above, speaking down to a knight in shining plate armor kneeling on the plush red rug below. Zelda paused momentarily, her breath catching in her throat at the sight of the legendary sword strapped to the knight's back. She'd seen enough diagrams, sketches and paintings of the sword and the heroes of past ages to recognize the pommel of that sword at a glance. 

Sighing, yet again, she strode into the center of the room, standing beside the knight whose face she couldn't see as he still wore his helmet and kept his head bowed in a show of fealty. 

Upon noticing her presence, King Rhoam's expression softened ever so slightly. "Ah, my daughter has returned! Tell me, how did you fare in the task I gave you?"

Tilting her chin up, hands primly clasped together at her middle, Zelda replied, "Greetings, Father. All four champions have been recruited and each of them passed their trials admirably and have made good progress in forming a bond with their divine beast."

"That is indeed excellent news," the king replied, nodding his head in approval. "And the Temple of Time?" His gaze was hopeful, and she thought that perhaps the timing may have finally been right considering the hero had been discovered while she was away.

Allowing herself only the briefest moment of grief, Zelda closed her eyes tightly before looking at her father and shaking her head sadly. "Nothing, I'm afraid."

"Hmm..." the king hummed, his hopeful expression falling and the sternness returning. "Then you shall have to double your efforts—" 

Zelda's nails dug into her palm as she clenched her hands together in the only sign she would allow herself to show her displeasure at this statement.

"You are the Princess of Hyrule and you must not forsake your duty."

Sighing inwardly, Zelda glanced away briefly before saying, "Of course, I understand."

"Good. Well, while you were away, this young knight was doing his part to fulfil his own duty to destiny. Sir Link, please rise."

It took every ounce of etiquette trained self control that Zelda possessed to not gasp out loud when the young knight arose, his piercing blue gaze meeting her own. It was _the_ knight who had saved her, not once but twice. The knight she had giggled with Impa about and had allowed herself lingering thoughts about how attractive he was. 

Though, she had to admit that he did look different from when she'd last seen him several weeks before. His hair was still as perfectly messy as before, framing his face from beneath his helmet, but the easy smile and cocky smirk was gone, replaced by a somber, stoic expression. His eyes were as intensely blue as before, but the warmth had vanished. And he had deep, dark circles under his eyes, making her wonder when the last time he'd slept was.

There was no room in her heart for sympathy, however. She was quickly becoming consumed with anger over this knight who had dared catch her attention with his good looks and his bravery and charming smile. Who had dared make her blush with his borderline flirtatious comments. This knight who had dared come in and overshadow her already feeble efforts just by finding a sword in a forest. It simply was not fair!

The knight said nothing, only stared at her with that stoic expression and nodding once before turning his attention back to the king above.

"Fate is a fascinating thing," King Rhoam mused, idly tapping his fingers on the balcony rail. "I had heard much about this young knight and intended to offer him a promotion—an official appointment as a reward for his courage and professional conduct, perhaps to my personal guard. However, with this new twist of fate, I think it much more fitting that he join your team as one of the champions."

"What?!" Zelda blurted out, brows creased at this unexpected declaration. "But the champions pilot the divine beasts! He has nothing to do with that!" It was a weak argument at best, and she knew it. A desperate attempt to distance herself from this knight who threatened any semblance of peace she'd managed to fabricate for herself.

"Nonsense," King Rhoam waved a dismissive hand in response to her objections. "You are leading the team who will work together to defeat Calamity Ganon, should he ever appear. The team would be incomplete without the Hero and the Master Sword, we both know this, Zelda."

Zelda, of course, knew this and lowered her head, eyes flickering to the floor. 

"And further," the king continued. "I have decided that the Hero is to be henceforth assigned as your personal, appointed knight from this moment forward. We will formally appoint him at the champion's inauguration ceremony, but his sole duty will be as captain of your personal guard and to personally see to your safety at all costs."

This was too much. A champion _and_ a babysitter?! Zelda had been prepared to be chastised for yet another failure, but to have this knight's presence forced upon her wherever she went? A constant reminder of her failure? 

"But father!" she interjected, eyes wide as she struggled to keep the desperation from her tone. "I do not believe that I require a personal knight. I can look after myself."

The king's eyes narrowed and his lips tightened. "On the contrary. Where would you be if this particular knight hadn't jumped to your aid in the face of a rogue guardian not once, but twice? One time within these castle walls, even! And aside from that, I've heard reports of Yiga activity in the area. The closer the calamity comes, the more desperate they'll be to eliminate any threat to their master's return. And without your power—" he sighed deeply, closing his eyes a moment before finishing. "All will be lost."

Of course this wasn't about _her,_ it was about her power. It was always about her power. 

"I just feel that I am perfectly safe within these walls," she tried to keep her tone polite and reasonable, making the best and most logical argument she could in spite of her raging emotions. "And when I leave, I always take a guard detail. I do not understand why that must change?" 

"Well, firstly, who better to see to the Princess with the Sealing Power's safety than the Hero who Wields the Sword that Seals the Darkness? And secondly, I believe, and my advisors all agree, that it will do much for public morale to see the two of your together as much as possible. The Hero and the Princess who will seal the darkness together. You must admit, even now, seeing the pair of you side by side brings me much hope." The king looked down upon his daughter, looking for all the world as if he were trying to talk himself out of saying what came next. "And finally, this young knight has met his destiny, perhaps some of his success will rub off on you."

Zelda flinched as if she'd been physically struck. Truly, she thought it would have hurt less to have been so. Finally, she replied, "As you wish, Father." She ducked her head, submitting to the judgement. It wasn't as if she didn't believe she deserved such judgement, even if she felt like the slumbering power was outside her control in so many ways. 

"Everything is settled then, excellent," King Rhoam nodded, a satisfied expression settling over his demeanor. "That will be all." He nodded to the royal crier who announced the court dismissal as the king turned to leave. 

Upon dismissal, the members of the royal court began to file out of the Sanctum, whispers and murmurs echoing in the cavernous chamber. Zelda looked up to the empty balcony above a moment longer before turning to leave the room, ignoring the knight whose eyes she could feel boring holes into her back as he followed just a few paces behind.

She was thankful that no one attempted to approach her as she kept her head held high, forcing her eyes straight ahead. Answering questions or even making small talk would be impossible. She just needed to get back to her room so she could allow herself a few moments to process the shock and disappointment and humiliation she had endured since she'd arrived home. She wanted to scream and cry—maybe even throw something! But she couldn't afford to let any of those emotions out, not where every eye was watching her. Not where _he_ was watching her.

After what felt like an eternity of forcing a bland, serene expression to her features, she finally made it to her room. Zelda swept in without a word to the knight, slamming the door behind her and not even caring what he did next. 

Once the door was shut, she leaned against it, sliding down to the floor. Her face buried in her hands and her fingers tangled in her hair, she let out a shuddering breath. It was too much. As if it hadn't been bad enough that days of desperate, fervent prayer fell upon the ears of an uncaring and unyielding statue, this knight had to go and meet his destiny, easily charming her father and earning praise where she'd found nothing but disappointment for nearly a decade. 

And to have her failure compared to his success like that? Not only that, but she was to bear the physical reminder that failure every single day for what was likely to be the rest of her life!

It was all so unfair! Zelda choked out a heartbroken sob, shifting her position to hug her knees to her chest, resting her forehead on her arms.

"Ah! Princess Zelda! Welcome ba—oh goddess!" Suvi, the princess's lady's maid, had just bustled from the washroom, but froze in place upon seeing the sobbing princess by the door. "Your highness? Are—are you ok?!" She hurried over, kneeling beside the princess and rested a hand on her shoulder.

Zelda gasped, surprised that she had company and attempted to swipe at her now red and puffy eyes. "I-I'm s-sorry, Suvi—I-I thought I was alone." Her face burned red as she looked away, trying to hide her distress, even though Suvi was a friend.

"When I heard you had returned, I came immediately to draw your bath," the raven haired young woman explained. "But—are you ok? What happened? Wait." She paused, eyebrows knitting together. "Is about that sword?"

Suvi was just a few years older than Zelda, and was a comforting presence. She was nurturing and kind and possessed a rather cheerful, the "glass is half full" disposition that tended to raise Zelda's own spirits when she was feeling down. The young woman had long raven black hair that she kept in a neat braid, pinned around her head and a round face that made her appear younger than she really was. 

She was attentive and an excellent multitasker, if a bit of a gossip at times—though she knew to keep private matters, well? Private. Though, to be fair, her talent for collecting gossip was quite useful. But, most importantly, she was someone Zelda could trust to care about her as a person and not as a savior.

Sniffing, Zelda nodded. "Honestly, it's many things—the sword and the knight who came with it. Not to mention, my father and the fact that he put my failure on display for the entire court just now. All of it is—honestly, it is quite overwhelming."

Suvi sighed, giving the princess's shoulder a squeeze. "The minute I heard the news, I knew it was going to be a shock for you. I'm sorry it was dumped on you like that, though—" she smiled a sly sort of smile. "Sir Link? He was already sort of dreamy, if you ask me—and now he's the Hero of Legend. Talk about swoon worthy!" She giggled.

Zelda groaned, bumping her head back against the door. "Ugh. Don't even get me started on _him._ That _hero_ is now my personal knight—"

"Ooh! Really? Does that mean he'll be with you _everywhere_ you go?" Suvi giggled, looking around as if expecting the young knight to pop out of a corner.

"Yes, but not in here, thank the goddess. I can still have some sort of privacy. Honestly, I am going to simply ignore him. Maybe then I can pretend he and his sword aren't taunting me about my failure every waking moment."

Raising an incredulous eyebrow, Suvi pouted. "I—don't think Sir Link would taunt you. I've never known him to be anything less than kind, unless you're on the wrong end of his sword anyways."

"You know him?"

"Well, yes. He's a friend of mine. We met at the Castle tavern awhile back and we have drinks sometimes."

Zelda wasn't sure how she felt about her closest confidant being friends with _him._ Of course, she would never say anything. It still felt odd knowing that her maid had any sort of relationship with the boy who's very presence irked her, additionally, she couldn't help but wonder just how close Suvi was to her new knight. 

"It's not like that!" Suvi laughed, rolling her eyes at the perplexed look the princess had adopted. "It's not just him either, there are a few others in the group too. But, it's true. Sir Link has helped me out a few times and even trained me in self defense. He's a good guy—you couldn't ask for a better protector, honestly."

"I don't think I _need_ a protector."

Suvi paused, choosing her next words carefully as her hand subconsciously brushed over the daggers she kept concealed beneath her skirts at all times. "I—think we both know that is not true. You pose a threat to the coming calamity and there are many out there who would seek to make sure you don't live to face Ganon. The closer it gets, the more desperate they will become."

That was exactly what her father had said just moments before. Zelda huffed a breath through her nose, grumbling, "I hate it when you are so sensible, you know that, right?"

Suvi grinned. "That's why you keep me around, right?"

Laughing, the princess rolled her eyes. "Maybe. But—I still don't care to have _the_ hero following me around. There are plenty of others who could do the job just fine."

Shrugging, the other young woman got to her feet and held a hand out to the princess. "Maybe, but enough about that. I've drawn your bath and the boiling water should be at the perfect temperature by now. I've added some of those Gerudo bath salts to help you relax. I'll go and take care of this laundry and be back in—say? Half an hour to help you prepare for dinner."

"Actually, that sounds perfect, but could you make it an hour, please?" Zelda chewed her lip, her eyes wide and sad. "I just—I think I will need a bit longer. And I am feeling quite tired, so I would prefer to take dinner in my room this evening."

If the young maid was surprised by this, she didn't show it and simply curtseyed, and turned to collect the armload of laundry she'd gathered from the luggage that had arrived ahead of the princess. "Of course, your highness."

"Thanks, Suvi. I feel a bit better. You truly are the best."

The young woman flashed a winning smile and, snatching up an armload of laundry, marched from the room.

Once she was finally alone, Zelda wasted no time undressing and slipping into the steaming hot bath water. The swirling tendrils of steam wafted up from the water's surface along with the comforting perfumed scent of spices she associated with the Gerudo. The tension that had been building finally loosened and hot tears came freely, trickling down her cheeks and mixing into the bathwater below. 

Hugging her knees to her chest, thoughts of her perpetual failure and the disappointment she brought to her father sent choked sobs racking her body, her shoulders shaking as she let it all out. This knowledge was nothing new and had haunted her for nearly a decade. She had tried everything she knew of to awaken her cursed powers, and had never once felt a stirring of power to indicate success—to the point where she sometimes wondered if perhaps she'd been switched at birth with some other young girl who was the true heir to the goddess's power. 

And now there was this knight, with a reputation for being talented and brave, who had found instant success while she'd found nothing but failure and disappointment for the past ten years. 

It wasn't fair. 

As she finally leaned back against the wall of the tub, she closed her eyes and allowed her body to relax. The exhaustion of the day had finally caught up to her and she was quickly losing the battle with consciousness. Her final thought before drifting off was that she would continue to throw herself into her research and hope, somehow, that logic and intellect would make a difference where faith and devotion had failed.


	7. The New Normal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Like it or not, Link and Zelda must settle into a new normal. Zelda begins work on the champion's garments.

It had been nearly a week since Link had become Princess Zelda's appointed knight, and he hated every moment of it. 

It wasn't that he had anything against the princess herself, or that he disliked seeing to her safety—that was an honor. Truly. A sort of dream come true, actually. Even if she clearly despised him for reasons he couldn't even begin to understand. It was odd that just a few weeks before they'd exchanged pleasantries and smiles that had set his heart thumping in rather interesting ways, but now it was nothing but stony silence and impatient huffs of breath when she was around him.

Not that he minded. With so much at stake, he couldn't afford to indulge in impossible romantic fantasies, so her hating him was probably for the best, even if it made no sense.

What was far more bothersome to him were the whispers and rumors that began the minute word got out that he was "the chosen one" and followed him everywhere. Such whispers and speculations had only increased since his unofficial promotion to the appointed knight to the princess. 

Then there was the fact that every eye was on him and everyone from the king to the laundry clerk suddenly expected great things from him, while nobles and royalty from all over attempted to garner his favor for who knew what ridiculous political scheme. People had placed their hope in him and failure was not an option. Not that he'd ever really failed before, but now? Now, everyone's lives depended on him—the world depended on him. And that was no small thing.

If he was being honest—which he wasn't—the pressure and expectation was suffocating. 

There was one thing that had given him some amount of comfort—he was now the captain of the princess's guard, which meant that he had been able to hand pick the best of the best to fill in when he couldn't personally see to her safety. He'd selected six talented knight lieutenants to fill the posts. Four whom he knew by reputation, the other two being none other than Camin and Brin, who had earned his trust and respect long ago.

Link worked with the castle garrison commander to set up a continuous rotation of guards stationed at the doors to the princess's chambers as well as her study. His team stood guard during the night when Link couldn't be there himself. 

It was morning after one such night, and Link had allowed himself time to sleep—even that was at the insistence of his own commander. " _If you don't have your health, you don't have anything,"_ he'd said after Link had pulled two all nighters the first few days on the job. Link had reluctantly agreed.

He was starting to get the hang of the princess's daily schedule, in spite of the fact that she told him nothing. Every day started with morning prayers at the castle shrine, just after sunrise.

Link had risen from bed, donned his armor and walked across the castle grounds on his way to the princess's door. A faint rosy glow had crept into the eastern skies and the world around him had revealed itself once more in the dim pre dawn light. The chill morning air caused goosebumps to raise on the small patches of skin not covered by plate mail as he strode down the hall, stopping at the door and taking his post opposite the knight already on duty.

"Mornin' boss," the quiet female voice greeted him. It was Brin, and though she hadn't turned from her relaxed position facing down the hall, she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

Link simply grunted and nodded in reply.

"Still not talking, huh?" She spoke in hushed tones, so as not to disturb the princess on the other side of the door.

Link didn't answer, shrugging as he continued his vigil, watching the completely empty hallway.

Pursuing her lips, she thought a moment before trying again. "I know what you need—a night out with your friends. What do you say? Me and Cam are off duty tonight. We're planning to hit up the castle tavern and have a few drinks. Relax a little. Your treat, Mr. Bigshot."

Link had been on the verge of shaking his head, but that last bit was so presumptuous and just so— _Brin_ , he couldn't help but snort a quiet laugh.

He wanted to say yes. They hadn't had a chance to talk properly since their trip into the forest and he had to admit, he did miss his friends. But he also didn't want to talk about the sword or anything to do with being "the chosen one". His feelings were—complicated. To say the least.

Before he could reply one way or another, the door handle rattled, startling both knights into an at attention position. With a creak, The door opened and the princess stepped out, dressed in a strapless white prayer gown, a loose linen shawl around her shoulders. 

Without a word or so much as a glance, she swept past them and strode down the hall. Link shot an apologetic glance at Brin before following. 

"You never said no, so I'm expecting you at the tavern after eighth bell," she hissed after him. Link simply raised a gauntleted hand in acknowledgment as he hurried after the silent princess.

Even though it had been nearly a week since the Hero had been assigned as her appointed knight, Zelda still wasn't used to it. His stoic demeanor and piercing blue stare were unnerving, to say the least, and she could feel his eyes boring into her back everywhere she went. 

Truly, she despised having an escort follow her around in her own home.

Zelda became more on edge each day as she constantly struggled to keep her defensiveness and anger in check. She couldn't afford to be emotional or irrational, not with the eyes of literally everyone on her at all times.

So she kept her feelings bottled up, though her usual serene expression had become more rigid and difficult to keep in place, sometimes the despondence lurking deep in her soul crept into her expression before she could shove it unceremoniously away. 

This day had been no different. Though she hadn't even acknowledged his presence at her door, he'd followed. As he always did. By the time she reached the shrine, her irritation had peaked like a dark cloud over her head. She could be thankful, at least, that he stayed in the doorway and was respectful enough to turn his back and give her some semblance of privacy while she attended to her prayers. 

Shivering from the sting of the cold water against her skin, she stepped into the shallow pool at the base of the goddess statue, the hem of her white prayer gown soaking in the holy water as it barely brushed over the surface. Zelda looked up into the austere gaze of the stone deity, wishing, not for the first time, that she could find _some_ connection with this alleged _loving_ goddess. 

She knew what was expected of her, but doing it had become exponentially more difficult with her ever present silent shadow. Her lips parted and the rote words came out, having been deeply ingrained into the slate of her mind from a young age, however, putting her heart into them was near impossible when her every thought was fixed on wishing _he_ would simply disappear. 

_I come before you seeking help..._

Goddess help her, but she couldn't focus.

_Prayer will awaken my power..._

It was unfair that she had to work so hard for her failure while he achieved instant success.

_Goddess of Hyrule past, present and future, if you deem me worthy..._

Why wouldn't he speak? Surely he must despise her.

The longer her prayers continued, the more despondent her thoughts became until her nerves couldn't take it any longer. When she'd finally finished, she took a moment to collect herself, sighing sadly before smoothing her expression back into the serene mask of indifference she usually wore.

As she moved to leave the small chapel, he turned to face her, his gaze meeting hers for a brief moment. Zelda paused, her breath catching in her throat as she met his blank stare. To her, it was obvious. His stare was _clearly_ a harsh judgement against her failure. 

Well, if he thought she was such a failure, perhaps she should give him a chance to speak his mind. 

"Is there something you wish to tell me, _Hero_?" she snapped, the barbed words flying from her lips. His forehead furrowed as his eyebrows knit together in confusion. At his continued silence, she huffed impatiently and swept past him without a further word. And, of course, he followed.

He followed her to the dining hall for breakfast and to the library while she searched for a tome on customs of the Rito and to the Sheikah research station while she checked in with the researchers and to every other mundane errand she attended to every day, silent as ever. 

She had started to fantasize about slipping away from his constant watch and doing something—anything. She wondered what it would take to distract him long enough to give him the slip?

Delightful as such fantasies were, however, this was not the day for playing such games as she had work to do. He followed her to the seamstress's workshop where she picked up a bolt of sacred blue fabric and then back to her room, where she'd _finally_ been able to give him the slip, leaving him at the door.

Breathing a sigh of relief to finally be left alone, Zelda dropped the fabric bolt on her bed and went to sit at her writing desk, pulling out a sketchbook and a quill.

Her father had given her a rather odd task—as a daughter of the royal family and the goddess blessed leader of the champions, she was apparently expected to craft a garment for each one of the champions. She was to bestow Hylia's blessing upon each garment, which would then be gifted to each champion as a symbol of their commitment to defending Hyrule from Calamity Ganon.

The challenge was figuring out exactly what sort of garment to construct for each champion, seeing as most were not Hylian and did not wear clothing of the Hylian style. 

First, the Gerudo. A fond smile curved her lips as she thought of the woman who had become the closest thing to a mother Zelda had known since the late queen had passed. The Gerudo chieftainess would certainly be the easiest of them all to design a garment for, seeing as Zelda was quite familiar with the fashions of both the Gerudo and Urbosa herself. The quill scratched across the surface of the page as she sketched out a skirt of a similar style to what Ubosa usually preferred, complete with a bejeweled belt designed to sit low on the hips. 

Initially pleased with her sketch, Zelda's eyes narrowed as she thought it was surely missing something. She didn't think a plain blue skirt would be terribly meaningful. It needed some embellishment of some kind. Tassels, buckles and jewels would hinder battle, but maybe—her eyes lit up as an idea occurred to her. Embroidery! The Hyrulian princess may be a scientist first and foremost, but she was also an excellent embroiderer, even if she did say so herself.

Her quill busied itself as she scribbled out several doodles until she came up with a design she liked for each one of the champions. Each garment would feature an embroidered likeness of their divine beast with a stitched border of simple shapes reminiscent of their region. Small craggy mountains for the Goron champion, and delicately curved waves for the Zora, for example.

Except for the Hero. His tunic would have a border stitched around the collar in the likeness of the Master Sword. 

In the end, she'd decided on a scarf for the Rito champion so as not to interfere with his armor, and sashes for both the Goron and Zora champions. Zelda knew these would be simple enough to craft and she could commission the royal jeweler to fashion a brooch of some kind, unique to each race to finish the piece off nicely.

That left the Hero's tunic, which quickly became a source of anxiety for the princess. She began pacing as her mind pondered the implications of sewing such a garment. You see, a tunic itself was easy enough to construct, but it would need to be properly fitted or it would be of no use to him. And in order for it to be fitted, she would have to take his measurements. And in order to take his measurements, she would have to speak to him, something she'd been avoiding as much as possible for over a week though he was at her heels from dawn until dusk every single day.

Perhaps she could wait for Suvi to return and ask her to take the measurements? Or she could ask Suvi to ask him to go to the royal seamstress to have his measurements taken? 

Zelda knew that she was behaving foolishly. She had a job to do and she wasn't about to let her misgivings over some hero boy stop her from getting it done. Tucking her quill behind an ear and seeking out a tape measure from a cabinet, she marched to the door and opened it. Neither the guard currently on duty nor the hero turned to look at her. 

She had to pointedly clear her throat to get the hero to actually turn around. His eyebrows flicked upwards in a silent question. 

"I require your assistance, Hero. Please come in here for a moment." She spoke briskly and gestured for him to come inside the room, shutting the door behind him firmly when he did. 

"Now, please take off your armor."

He just stared, dumbfounded, as if he couldn't believe what she'd said.

It took Zelda a few seconds to realize what it must have sounded like to the knight standing in the middle of her bedroom. Once it clicked, her face flamed red and she quickly backpedaled. "Oh, no, no, no, no, I—what I meant was—not all of it. Just your—whatever that piece on top is called." She pointed to his chest plate. 

"I must take your measurements, for the champion's ceremony. See?" She held up the measuring tape and pointed towards the bolt of fabric on her bed. 

Understanding dawned in his eyes and he relaxed slightly, nodding as he set to work. 

Zelda had not anticipated how much effort removing that one piece of armor would be. The hero reached first for his left gauntlet, then his right, unstrapping them and pulling them off before laying them carefully at his feet. Then came the pauldrons, and the sword/shield/bow sheath strapped across his chest, and then the quiver of arrows, and then the fabric embroidered with the signet of the Knights of Hyrule. Once those pieces had been removed, he could finally lift the chest piece itself over his head.

Even after all of that, Zelda was shocked to see that the hero still wore a bulky chainmail tunic in addition to several more straps and buckles holding various pieces of platemail below the waist. She knew she wouldn't be able to get an accurate measurement with him still dressed as he was, and dreaded what she was about to ask him.

Scrunching her eyes shut for just a moment, she pinched the bridge of her nose, saying, "Er—could you please—um—remove the chainmail?"

The hero just blinked, eyebrows furrowed as he glanced around the room, clearly embarrassed.

"Look," she snapped, irritated that he didn't seem to realize that this was just as awkward for her as it was for him. "Unless you want your Champion's tunic to fit you like a tent, you're going to have to take that bulky thing off." She exhaled a sharp breath through her nose, calming herself. "It'll just be for a moment."

Truly, the princess had never appreciated just how much effort the knights went through just to get dressed every day. And she'd thought she had it bad with the corsets! The platemail alone must be incredibly heavy, not to mention sweltering. 

The hero couldn't just remove the chainmail, no. In order to get to it, he had to unbuckle not one, but two belts. One holding up a piece of mail in the back and the other that connected the plates protecting his thighs. 

When it was all said and done, he was left standing before her in his platemail boots, skin tight blue trousers, and a thin, dark blue tunic that she supposed was meant to be just enough to protect his skin from the chain mail. She tried not to stare, but the thin shirt fit so snugly against his frame, it left little to the imagination. She could see the definition in his chest and abdominal muscles as well as his biceps. Though she was loath to admit it, he was in very good shape and the effect was—rather attractive. 

Blinking, she inwardly chastised herself for noticing such things. How utterly absurd!

Pressing her lips together in a thin line, she went to work, measuring around his chest, around his shoulders, his biceps, and taking notes of each precise measurement. Each brush of her fingers against his chest sent a little thrill through her, it was, quite frankly, irritating. 

Why was this boy so irritatingly perfect? With his _perfectly_ messy hair and his _perfectly_ in-shape body, his _perfect_ sword skills, and his stupid _perfect_ face with those mesmerizingly _perfect_ blue eyes. 

The longer she worked, the more heated her cheeks became and the more flustered she felt. It made her angry that this stupidly perfect boy could make her— _her!_ The princess of Hyrule, the one through who's veins Hylia's own blood ran— He shouldn't be able to make her so flustered! It should be the other way around!

Nothing about this was fair, and she despised it. 

The princess made her final notation and dismissed the knight, retreating to her writing desk, going back to pointedly ignoring him as she pored over her sketchbook.

Link watched her a moment, a bemused eyebrow raised, but said nothing, shaking this head and turning his attention to reassembling his armor. Once he'd gotten himself back into uniform, he left the room without a word and dutifully took up his post by the door, where he remained for the rest of the afternoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't be too hard on Zelda. bb girl is going through a lot :'3


	8. A Knight, a Maid and a Princess Walk Into A Bar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link's friends practically drag him to the tavern for an evening out while Zelda decides to slip her night guard and sneak off to the very same tavern.

After several silent hours standing at the princess's door, the sun finally set and the guard changed, meaning Link was technically off duty for the night, though he didn't immediately go back to the barracks. Many nights he stuck around just in case he was needed. It wasn't like he had anything better to do. 

He briefly considered going down to the tavern with his friends, but wasn't sure he was ready to deal with the staring and the whispers in a social setting. Before he could make a decision either way, however, the door behind him opened. Link startled when a slim arm linked around his elbow. Glancing over, he relaxed as a raven headed young woman grinned at him. It was not the princess, it was Suvi. 

Wordlessly raising a questioning eyebrow, Link waited for an explanation. 

"Sir Link, I know you are off duty now, but I require your escort," the young woman said sweetly, tugging at his elbow and guiding him down the hallway.

Eyes narrowing, Link waited for a further explanation as he allowed her to pull him along.

Once they were out of earshot of the other guard, she continued, "Ser Brin told me to make sure you get down to the tavern at any cost, and to not take 'no' for an answer. So here I am. You barely take any time for yourself and I know you don't sleep much, so I figured I could at least make sure you take a few hours to relax."

Link's expression softened briefly before his eyebrows knit together and he looked over his shoulder towards the door they'd just left.

"The princess will be fine," she assured him. "There are plenty of guards and she will not require my presence for at least a few more hours, so I thought I would tag along. Ser Brin said you were buying."

Link huffed a laugh and rolled his eyes, resigned as he fell into step beside his friend who also happened to be the princess's waiting maid. 

The pair left the castle proper and walked in companionable silence as they wound their way through the veritable maze of courtyards and walkways on their way to their destination.

"So, I know you're busy being a big shot hero and all," Suvi broke the silence with a wry grin. "But, you know—I could really use a sparring partner, if you can find the time."

Link cringed at the word "hero", but said nothing, focusing instead on her request to He had been the one to originally train her in basic self defense and sword skills—eventually working her to dual wielding daggers once they discovered her strength lay in speed and stealth. 

The irony that he'd been the one to train this lady's maid to protect the princess only to be officially appointed the princess's personal protector was not lost on him. Apparently ensuring the princess's safety had been his destiny all along and he was only now realizing it.

Meeting her gaze, he smiled crookedly, flicking his eyebrows upwards in an expression that clearly read, _now?_

"Pfft, no!" Suvi scoffed. "Brin would kill us if we ditched them, and you know it."

Link just shrugged and they continued walking until they reached their destination. He paused briefly in the doorway, not really wanting to go inside, but Suvi kept walking and practically drug him behind her—the petite, dark haired young woman was much stronger than she looked.

The castle tavern, located near the entrance to the grounds, was a lively establishment, existing solely to serve the castle garrison and staff, along with the occasional odd noble who preferred a more rowdy night scene than what the castle cigar parlor typically offered.

Though it was crowded thanks to the after dinner rush, a hush fell over the room as one by one, the patrons recognized the knight who wielded the sword that seals the darkness. Just as he'd feared, the hush was immediately followed by whispers and murmurs and Link could hear snippets of the comments as he passed by. 

"Did you hear?"

"The hero..."

"...knight to the princess..."

"...going to save us all..."

Finally, pair of loud, boisterous voices rose above the murmurs. 

"Link, buddy! You made it!" Camin called out cheerfully, waving from the table he and Brin had taken over in the back corner of the room, waving a tankard of ale above his head in greeting. Link cringed. He knew it was pointless to try and hide since everyone in the tavern clearly knew who he was, but he still wasn't keen on being the center of attention if he could help it. Not like this, anyways.

"Of course he made it! I told you he would!" Brin grinned, taking a long drink of her own ale and gesturing for the newcomers to take the two vacant chairs. "Nothing to see here, folks," she called out, challenging the gawking gossips with a beady eyed glare. "Carry on."

As if on command, the whispers and murmurs shifted back to the usual dull roar typical of a crowded tavern.

Suvi grinned and winked as Link politely pulled out a chair for her before leveling a look at Camin and nodding to the empty chair. Catching his meaning, Brin elbowed the knight beside her. 

"Hm?" Camin blinked, confused. "What?"

"You know he gets all twitchy if we make him sit with his back to the door," Brin muttered. "Just save us all the drama of watching him develop a crick in his neck and take that chair, 'kay?"

"Oh, fine," Camin grumbled, getting up and moving to the seat beside Suvi. "I forgot what a drama queen our favorite Hero could be."

The girls laughed as Link glared at his friend and sat down. Catching the eye of the barmaid, he held up two fingers and tapped the table in front of him. He had been enough of a regular that the woman knew exactly what that meant and grinned brightly in reply before going back to the customer she had been helping before.

"Sooo...long time no see, boss," Camin teased, clunking his mug on the table and leaning in on his elbows. "Glad you could find the time to join us little people for the night."

Link made a face that was clearly a sarcastic " _Ha. Ha._ ", his expression shifting to a friendly smile as the barmaid hurried over with the two mugs of ale. He reached into his money pouch and pulled out a few rupees, pressing them into her hand. 

"Thank ya' kindly, hon! Let me know if ya' need anything else," the curvy redhead purred with a wide smile and a wink, shoving the rupees into her pocket before sashaying away, her heels clicking on the cobbled stone floor.

Grinning, Link slid the second mug across the table to Suvi, who caught it and laughed. "Ah! Thanks Link. I knew coming out tonight was a good idea."

"Pfft," Camin scoffed. "Only because he paid for your ale!" He turned and accusing eye towards Link who was now sipping his own ale while calmly watching the crowd. "Why'd you buy for her and not me? Your best friend!"

Link's attention shifted back to the table as he raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"Clearly, it's because he likes her better than you," Brin said dryly, picking up a peanut from the bowl in the center of the table and chucking it at him.

"Owww! Watch it!"

"Orrrr..." Suvi giggled at the outraged expression that had taken over Camin's face. "It's because you already had an ale when we got here. Besides, I'd already informed him he was buying as I drug him by the arm across the castle grounds."

The three continued their good natured teasing and bickering as Link sprawled back against his chair, making himself comfortable as he observed the activities of the tavern patrons.

Though he wasn't one for much drinking, Link had always enjoyed patronizing the local tavern wherever he went. It didn't matter where he was, the tavern always had a warmth about it, even if the crowd could be a bit unruly at times, depending the general level of drunkenness overall. The castle tavern tended to be pleasant most times—likely because the guard captain did not tolerate drunken shenanigans typically found out in the public venues—and tonight was no different. 

It still felt odd watching all of these people going about their lives, each day the same as the last without a real care in the world, while he had the literal weight of the world strapped to his back, compliments of the master sword. He took a sip of his drink, watching the people at the tables talking and laughing together, much like his friends were. 

Truthfully, it didn't matter that the burden of the Master Sword felt like a millstone around his neck, he was glad it was him and not them. If he could be the one to stand in the gap between his friends, his people, and the calamity, he would gladly do so.

His gaze paused on a small cleared area at the other end of the room where a bard has taken the stage with an accordion and was singing something he called "Ode to the Goddess Walking Among Us". Eyes narrowing with recognition, Link realized it was that poet who had glared at him so rudely the other day—after Link had saved his life. He still didn't understand what that had been about.

_"...lips as pink as the newly budded rose_

_They part and her words are but a fleeting melody to me_

_Hair of gold as the newly harvested flax_

_It shimmers in the wind for but the briefest moment in time..."_

"Ugh, who is this guy? Honestly, Cam here writes better poetry when he's drunk," Brin complained, popping a peanut into her mouth.

"Thanks! Er—I think?" Camin rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

Link snorted. He knew that Camin did not write poetry when he'd had too much to drink, he wrote limericks with dirty words.

"That's Master Sindri, the court poet," Suvi explained. "He's—actually, he's usually much better than this." She cringed as he sung a line about _"mesmerizingly swaying hips"_. Leaning in, she gestured for the others to do the same as she continued in a low conspiratorial voice. "But I think he's got it bad."

Link's eyebrows knit together in confusion as Camin blurted, "Got what?"

"I think he's got a serious thing for—"

Link didn't hear what she said as he was distracted by a shadowy movement in the corner of his eye and a simultaneous nudge from his sword. Glancing up, his senses on high alert, he spotted a cloaked figure entering the tavern, their posture practically shouting uncertainty. He immediately knew that this person was not a regular and had possibly never even been in a tavern before.

Though the cloak covered most of the stranger's clothing, the figure was clearly feminine in form. Something about the way they held themselves told Link this person was clearly highborn.

His eyes narrowed as he watched whoever it was approach the bar and push a purple rupee across to the bartender, leaning in as they spoke—that hand almost certainly belonged to a woman. He wanted to know who it was. The castle gates were not open for just anyone to just come inside and wander around, particularly at night, so a cloaked stranger keen to keep their face in shadow was extremely suspicious.

The bartender poured a goblet of wine and slid it across the bar to the stranger before going back to his other customers. The stranger turned and attempted to weave their way through the crowd, pausing a moment and taking a half step back, almost as if surprised before steeling their shoulders and continuing across the room. Link assumed they were in search of a place to sit or stand in peace. Unfortunately, it was standing room only that night and there wasn't much space between tables. Other patrons were trying to leave after unsuccessfully seeking their own space to settle in, creating a sort of bottleneck, drawing attention to the stranger who clearly wanted to remain unnoticed. 

One of the patrons, a particularly large man, several heads taller than the stranger, shoved past, knocking the cloaked figure off balance. Link heard the sharp "oh!", his ears twitching as he subconsciously leaned forward in his chair. The tone of the voice was familiar. 

Then he saw it. The hood was skewed in the tussle and a lock of shimmering blonde hair peeked out momentarily before the smooth hands of a noblewoman adjusted the hood back into place. Link gasped quietly, his heart thumping, panicked within his chest. Very few Hylians had hair of that golden shade. If it was who he thought it was, she shouldn't be there—and certainly not _alone_. 

Between the dire warnings from the king and the master sword's constant barrage of visions regarding the importance of her safety, the thought of her wandering around alone in the night sent an icy flash of fear through his veins. And where was her guard? What was he doing, sitting around in a tavern while she was left unprotected? He needed to go to her, no matter how much she may despise him.

"Link?" 

He blinked, refocusing his attention on his friends who were now looking at him with concern. 

"What's wrong?"

His eyebrows furrowed together as he looked past Brin and Suvi, finding the cloaked figure who had made it past a few more tables. The others followed his gaze and Suvi gasped. "Goddess! What is _she_ doing here?!"

That was all the confirmation he needed. No one would know the princess and any disguises she may or may not possess better than the Princess's own handmaiden did. Link pushed his chair out and made to get up until a slender hand rested on his gauntlet, stopping him.

"Don't." Suvi warned him, shaking her head.

Link frowned, the furrow between his eyebrows deepening. 

"Just—she doesn't get much time to herself and since she's been avoiding having a shadow every second of the day, she's spent a lot of time in her room," she explained in a low whisper with a pointed look. Seeing the disbelief written all over the young knight's face, she added, "You can see her just fine from here. If anything happens, you can be the first to rush to her aid."

Huffing a sigh, Link sat back in his seat. He didn't like it and was honestly uncomfortable with the arrangement, but—maybe Suvi was right. Maybe the princess needed an evening out just as much as he did.

He tried not to make it obvious that he was staring at the cloaked princess, who had found a small table and was now nursing her goblet of wine as she listened to the bard singing his songs on the makeshift stage. 

Brin and Camin exchanged a look before Camin slammed his tankard on the table and said with a wide grin, "So, did you hear about the castle hound that found their way into the larder the other day?"

"Is that why Cook has been such a foul mood lately?" Brin laughed, rolling her eyes. "She nearly bit my head off about wasted food when I didn't finish my porridge at breakfast."

"It is," Suvi said, her eyes sparkling with intrigue as her voice lowered once again and the three knights leaned in to hear what she had to say. "But what you haven't heard is that the hound had actually hunted down a nest of rats! Big ones!"

"Eww! Gross!" Camin groaned, making a face. "I'm never eating in the mess hall again."

Brin snorted. "So, what? You're just going to starve yourself?"

"Better than eating rats," Camin retorted before adding, "I mean, we can't all be like Link. We all know he'd eat literally anything!"

Link's face turned a brilliant shade of pink as his friends laughed. He couldn't be too embarrassed, however, because Camin wasn't wrong. Soon, he was laughing along with them, keeping one eye on the cloaked princess still seated across the room while wondering what the dinner special that evening was.

\--

Zelda could not explain what had possessed her to sneak down to the castle tavern that night. Perhaps it had been the whispered conversation she'd overheard between the Hero and his subordinate that morning. Or perhaps it had been Suvi talking about enjoying time with her friends over drinks at the tavern. Or maybe it was due to Master Sindri mentioning that afternoon that he'd be performing at the tavern later on. 

Regardless of which factor had motivated her, she found herself curious about this place that so many of those around her found to be both entertaining and relaxing. Not only that, but the past week of having eyes watching her every moment she was outside her room had worn her down. She wanted to escape her guard for just a few hours and thought her best chance would be in the evening when _he_ was no longer around. 

She knew that if she wanted to remain guard-free for any amount of time, she would need a disguise that would keep people from immediately recognizing her, so she changed out her royal gown for her comfortable traveling clothes—riding trousers and a clean blouse. She had an old cloak with an oversized hood she thought would be useful for keeping her face in shadow.

Once she was ready, she folded the cloak over on arm and moved to the outdoor entrance of her room, thinking it would not be wise to try and sneak through the castle halls lest she run into her father. He would surely disapprove and reprimand her for playing childish games. Opening the door, she walked quickly past the guard on duty, who immediately followed. Zelda frowned knowing she was being followed on _his_ order, no doubt.

No matter. She had enough of a head start that she had no trouble slipping away as she was quick and possessed superior knowledge of her own home. 

Once she was certain she'd slipped the guard, she threw the cloak over her shoulders, pulling the hood over her head to hide the flaxen hair that would be a dead giveaway to anyone who knew anything about her. 

Upon reaching the tavern, the princess paused in the doorway, immediately taken by the warmth and the jolly atmosphere as the people who kept the castle running smoothly unwound after a long, busy day. She recognized a few of the maids, knights and other staff clustered together around tables as they shared ale and what seemed to be pleasant conversation. 

Making a decision, she went straight to the bar, trying to walk with purpose as if she did this all the time—even if she knew in her heart of hearts that she was doing a terrible job of acting natural. Hopefully no one would notice. The bartender gave her a strange assessing look before straightening, eyes wide with surprise as he realized who it was. Zelda hastily handed over a purple rupee, asking him to please accept it for his silence and a goblet of the house wine, which he gladly accepted with a smile and a polite bow.

The hitch in her plan manifest when she turned from the bar and began searching for a seat. That's when she saw _him._ And he was watching her through narrow eyes that told her exactly what he was thinking, no words required. Huffing a breath of relief, she realized he didn't recognize her, but he was suspicious that she was someone who didn't belong. 

Well, who she was certainly was not any of his business. She wasn't hurting anything so he could stare at her all he wanted. Deciding to ignore him, she found herself a small table a little ways back from the makeshift stage where Master Sindri was performing a rather poorly composed ballad.

Sipping at her wine, Zelda wondered what exactly she was doing there. The atmosphere was pleasant and warm, and even if the bard was not performing his best that night, it was still much nicer than staring at the same walls of her room and study all the time. 

The trouble was that even in the middle of such a crowd of people enjoying the evening together, she felt acutely alone. 

The feeling magnified as she could see _him_ from where she sat, surrounded by friends as they all laughed at some joke that she was not part of. Though she could tell he didn't speak, even to them, he was laughing and utterly at ease in a way she'd never witnessed—not that she'd ever really bothered to pay him much mind as he followed her around. 

It actually made her angry to think about as she added yet one more thing that came easily to the Hero. He had friends to laugh with and have fun with—of which included one of her own closest friends as she recognized the back of Suvi's head from where she sat. Why must everything come so easily to him?

"'Scuse me. You need to move."

A rough voice distracted her from her musings. The princess blinked up past an enormous belly to a hulking figure standing over her. She didn't recognize the man, but his pallid complexion and sunken eyes told her he must work somewhere that doesn't get much light—perhaps the dungeon?

"I-I'm sorry, but no. I don't." She said evenly, trying to sound calm as she sipped at her wine once more. 

"'That there is my table," he growled, thumping his fist against the wood. "I always sit here."

"I'm afraid you will have to sit elsewhere this evening," she replied with a shrug, though her heart was thundering in her chest. She was terrified, yet refused to be bullied by anyone, no matter their size. 

The man snarled unintelligibly in a manner that made those closest to them halt their conversation and watch the exchange with interest, as if a potential brawl in the tavern was merely a spectator sport. He certainly looked as if he was about to flip the table, and Zelda honestly didn't know what she would do if it came to that. 

Before he could reply, however, a petite, raven-haired woman was standing before her, on tiptoe as she poked the man in the chest hissing thinly veiled threats. 

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Brutus," Suvi muttered, glaring fiercely up at the man who was several times larger than she. "If you start yet another brawl over this goddess-forsaken table, the guard captain will have your head, and you know it! Not only that, but I swear I will take it straight to the princess and she'll make sure the king hears about it. Do you understand me?"

The man—Brutus—stared at the tiny woman a moment before throwing up his hands and muttering, "Din take you all!" before stomping out of the tavern, muttering curses under his breath.

Suvi glared after him, hands on her hips and looking for all the world ready for a fight, petite though she was. 

Finally, once she was certain he was gone, Zelda sighed with relief. "Thank you, Suvi. Have I ever told you that you were a lifesaver?" She smiled up at her lady's maid.

"Maybe once or twice," Suvi replied with a grin, sliding a chair out and sitting down. "But that's what I do, lacing up corsets by day and saving lives by night."

Zelda laughed, adjusting the hood and making sure her face was still in shadow before wringing her hands together on the table. "Er—I am sorry I took you away from your friends. I did not mean to intrude on your evening."

Shrugging, Suvi glanced over at the table she'd just vacated before she replied. "It's no trouble at all, your highness. You didn't think I was going to let that oversized brute of an executioner push you around, did you?"

"The executioner!?" Zelda yelped, eyes going wide. "Oh dear. I had no idea."

"He's a bit of a grouch, but easy enough to work around if you know the right buttons to push," Suvi said lightly. Her expression shifted and she raised a questioning eyebrow. "But, I couldn't help but think you looked a bit lonely over here. Would you like to come back and meet my friends? I'm sure they'd love to have you join us."

Shaking her head quickly, Zelda felt like her heart had leapt to her throat in a panic. "I-no. No, thank you. I couldn't possibly intrude. Besides, I do not think _he_ would be terribly pleased to see me."

"On the contrary, I think _he_ might finally relax knowing you are perfectly safe."

"The fact that he is that worried about me in my own home is a bit ridiculous, if you ask me." Zelda rolled her eyes, though a small part of her that she refused to officially acknowledge was pleased to know he cared that much—about her. She sighed, setting her goblet on the table and rising from her chair. "Actually, I think I am feeling a bit tired and would like to go back to my room now."

Suvi stood as well. "I'll walk with you."

Zelda held up a hand, shaking her head. "That will not be necessary. I already feel badly that I have distracted you from your friends when you were on a break."

"Nonsense," Suvi insisted. "I understand you prefer to do things on your own, but we both know that it really isn't safe for you to be wandering the grounds alone, particularly at night. Besides, it's almost time for me to return to draw your bath and help you dress for bed."

Sighing, Zelda gave in. As much as it pained her to admit it, Suvi was right. She'd heard the rumors of foes with their targets set on the princess of Hyrule and knew there had been more than one near miss that she hadn't been aware of until much later. At least this time her protector was Suvi, who Zelda actually enjoyed being around.

The girls left the tavern, chatting amiably together as they walked. Once they were out of view of the doorway, Zelda removed the cloak and tucked it under her arm. 

At one point, the sound of what was unmistakably a scuffle in the shadows gave them pause. Zelda froze, eyebrows furrowed as she looked to Suvi who's expression was one of someone ready to jump into battle, her posture shifting to a defensive stance. 

"Whatever could that be?" Zelda murmured, eyes wide.

"Nothing good—we should turn back—" 

But then with a final grunt and what sounded like a _poof,_ all was quiet. It was as if nothing had been out of place. 

"How odd—" Zelda said, equal parts worried and confused. "Do you—should we continue?"

Suvi nodded. "We should hurry though—just in case." 

The princess and her maid hurried to the nearest castle entrance, both breathing a sigh of relief once they were back in the warm, well lit halls of the castle with royal guards in every hallway.

As soon as they turned the corner to the hallway leading to the princess's suite, Suvi gave a small snort and giggled, rolling her eyes at what she saw. Zelda looked, her jaw dropping when she noticed that not one knight, but _two_ were standing guard by her door. It was _him_. The Hero. Somehow he'd left the tavern after they had, and had reached the door before them. 

He watched them approach and Zelda could have sworn that his usual blank stoic stare had been replaced by something much more akin to irritation. And was it her imagination, or did he look slightly unruffled? As if he'd just been in a physical confrontation? 

She wondered if he had known all along it was she beneath the cloak? He must have. 

The usual irritation took over her momentary nervous panic. She didn't owe him any explanation. He'd been off duty and it's not like she'd agreed to any of the new unspoken rules being forced on her without anyone bothering to listen to her thoughts on the matter.

Tilting her chin upwards, Zelda swept past the guards and into her bedroom, not caring if the Hero decided to stand there all night. She had been curious about the tavern, and even though that brutish man had ruined what she'd hoped would be an enjoyable evening out, she still did what she'd set out to do. 

Besides, she had to admit, slipping away from her assigned guard had been exhilarating. Perhaps she would have to try it again sometime.


	9. Breakfast of Champions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link meets the champions and discovers a few old friends in the mix.

As it turned out, there were very few spare moments in the following weeks for the princess to even consider sneaking past her guard. The time had come for her to focus her full attention on preparing for the champion's inauguration ceremony, and her days quickly became a blur of making sure everything was perfect—there were garments to hand craft, menus to plan, speeches to write, and agendas to perfect, along with everything else that typically went along with planning a royal function.

Since the evening at the tavern, when Link had indeed quietly fought off a Yiga found prowling the shadows near the princess's chambers, he had seen to it that the princess was never left unguarded, effectively doubling the guard around her when he couldn't personally be present. His friends worried that he was taking his job too seriously, but he disagreed. It was hard to ignore the constant whispering and nudging of a magical sword, and he became downright anxious anytime he left his post. 

The princess was, naturally, not pleased with the increased security and made her displeasure known with a silent pursing of her lips and a narrowing of her eyes that Link had grown accustomed to accepting whenever he was in her presence. 

Aside from the inconvenience of her added security detail, she was slowly becoming an exhausted bundle of nerves and tension as her increased duties kept her busy at all hours of the day and night leading up to the ceremony. Link could see it in her eyes, though she never said a word about it to him or anyone else.

Finally, the morning of the ceremony came without incident and the champions had all arrived the afternoon and evening before. Link was at the princess's door at daybreak, accompanying her first to her usual morning prayers before escorting her to the breakfast social planned for the champions and their guests. 

Upon delivering the princess safely to the dining hall, Link took his usual place near the door, where he had a good vantage point of the whole room. Though he was on duty, he couldn't help but stare, swallowing hard at the mountains of pastries, meats, cheeses, fruits and vegetable, both hot and cold. He'd been witness to many meals in the castle, all of them fit for a literal king, but this one was somehow a step above anything he'd seen before.

"You know—" Link startled at the low snickering voice that broke through his reverie. It was Impa who had sidled up beside him with an amused gleam in her eye. "—you shouldn't be standing here at the door. Why don't you go and get some food?"

Link turned to her, a skeptical eyebrow raised in a way that told her he clearly thought she was talking crazy. He was a knight on duty and knights on duty did _not_ eat with the royals or their distinguished guests.

"You do realize that this room is filled with warriors, right? Even if there was a random attack, do you honestly think that every single one of us wouldn't jump to her aid? Don't be an idiot. This day is for you, too. Go. Eat some breakfast."

Blinking, he stared at the young Sheikah warrior a moment with a blank look, as if he didn't quite understand what she was getting at.

"Seriously, Sir Link. This is the _champion's_ breakfast. Have you forgotten already? You. Are. A. Champion." She spoke slowly, punctuating each word clearly before giving him a shove. "Now, go on! You're part of the team, now go and—I don't know—make friends or something!"

This was almost too much for this mighty warrior to handle. He would rather walk into a coven of vicious moblins than try to pretend he belonged at this royal feast. For one, he didn't think he counted as a _real_ champion. All he did was pick up a sword. It wasn't like he was piloting a great ancient machine or anything, and it was clear to him that the princess, leader of the champions, did not consider him one of them. So what if he did waltz into the crowd of champions and they all laughed at him? Or, worse, he received a reprimand? He'd always been a stellar example of the disciplined behavior of a knight, and didn't want to step out of line. 

But the food _did_ look rather inviting, and his growling stomach reminded him that he hadn't yet had a chance to eat that morning. Perhaps Impa was right. 

"So?" Impa pressed. "What are you waiting for? Let's go!" She gave him a mock glare, adding, "I'm not eating until you do, Mr. Chosen One, so unless you want to be responsible for me passing out from malnutrition, you should probably get over to that buffet."

Link snorted, rolling his eyes, but did as she said. He'd only made it a few steps away from the door before a loud, thundering voice rose over the din. "Oi! Is that you, Little Guy!?" A Goron, at least twice his height and several times as wide, lumbered over with a huge grin on his white bearded face, arms the size of battering rams held wide in greeting. Before Link could react at all, the Goron scooped him up into a near bone crushing hug. 

It was Daruk, the Goron champion.

Powerless to do anything, Link grunted from being squeezed so tightly before he found himself dropped to the ground, barely managing to keep his feet beneath him. Looking up at the Goron champion, Link grinned. 

"Once I heard the hero who wields that darkness sealing sword thing had been found, I just knew it had to be you! Glad to know I was right!" Daruk laughed jovially, clapping the Hylian knight on the shoulder, inadvertently causing Link to stumble a few steps. 

The room had gone silent, all conversation paused as eyes turned to Link and the Goron champion.

"I did not realize you two knew each other," Princess Zelda commented, her expression politely puzzled as she glanced between the two of them.

"Oh yes, Tiny Princess," Daruk responded jovially. "The little guy and I go way back. Funny story, a few years back, I was rolling around on patrol up on death Death Mountain when I saw a horde of those little pig things attacking a traveler on the road. I rolled up to help, but it turns out my help wasn't needed. This little guy had taken them all out on his own. Not only that, but as we were talking, one of those there—uhh—moblins snuck up on me and Link took it out before I even realized what was going on."

"Yes, he does that," the princess commented dryly, her eyes flicking to the Link for the briefest moment and back again as she pressed her lips together in tense, tight lipped smile. Link rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, his cheeks flushing at the attention. 

'Well, anyways, this spread looks amazing, Tiny Princess!" Daruk continued, changing the subject. "You even remembered my favorite prime rock roast! Cooked to perfection at the maw of Death Mountain!" 

"Of course!" the princess replied, the previous tension melting into a genuine smile, her hands clasped primly before her. "I cannot fully take credit, however. The royal chef is quite knowledgeable of the preferred dishes and delicacies in every region of Hyrule, I simply ensured there would something to honor each champion's heritage."

This pleased Daruk, who grinned even more widely, as if that were possible before turning back to the buffet table. 

Link, grateful that the conversation was no longer centered on him, edged towards the food table, his eyes roving hungrily over the platters of Hylian delicacies prepared to perfection. Tureens of simmered fruit, platters of hot, fresh omelettes, stacks of meat skewers and piles of pan fried sweet cakes, among others caught the young knight's eye. 

It turned out that Link was, indeed, expected to participate in the champion's festivities—he even found a place card with his name on it at the table set with bejeweled goblets, shining golden plates and every kind of silverware one could imagine. Breathing a sigh of relief, he snatched up a plate and proceeded to fill it up with a little of everything, not quite noticing that he had gathered a veritable mountain of food. 

"Link, I-hello. It's been too long." 

A soft voice spoke up from behind him, bringing an immediate soft smile to his lips as memories of whispered secrets and childish laughter, running hand in hand through sun warmed meadows in the Zora highlands, warm summer swims in ponds and reckless dives from the tops of roaring waterfalls flickered to the forefront of his mind.

He turned around, immediately recognizing the gentle amber gaze of the Zora princess, Mipha. She was petite for a Zora, though still a bit taller than Link, and adorned with the accoutrements typical of one of her station among her people—a silver, bejeweled headdress fit perfectly around the fins of her head so as not to encumber her movement through the water. Delicate silver heart-shaped bangles graced her wrists, while golden cords with a thin blue sash draped elegantly from a shoulder pauldron that matched her bangles, the mark of her as a guardian of her people, just below her father the king. 

Hands clasped over her heart, her brows flicked upwards as Link wordlessly smiled in greeting, quickly furrowing in concern as she looked him over. 

"I can see a lot has changed since the last time you visited the domain," she said quietly, her gaze pausing on the heaping plate of food he carried and a small smile quirking one corner of her lips. "And yet, some things have not changed one bit."

Link sighed, glancing away a moment before taking a step closer to the Zora who had been one of his closest companions throughout his childhood and smiling sadly. 

"Mipha, I did not realize you too were familiar with the Hero," the princess commented, surprised as she paused beside them.

"Oh, yes," Mipha said with a soft laugh that tinkled like bell chimes. "Link is a good friend of mine. We met back when he was but a tiny thing." She smiled fondly at her friend, resting a hand on his shoulder. 

"He's still a tiny thing!" Daruk barked a laugh, earning a glare from Link, who did not appreciate having his short stature pointed out. He wanted to retort that all Hylians were tiny compared to him, but the words stuck in his throat, so he contented himself with a mock glare.

"Indeed," Mipha laughed a bit harder, gazing fondly upon the young knight. "Well, he was tiny then even compared to now, just a reckless child of about four years old, covered from head to toe in bruises the first time he visited the domain with his father, Knight Captain Taran. I remember I had my hands full healing his wounds during their time at the Lanayru garrison."

"Oh! I had no idea my appointed knight was so well known throughout the kingdom!" the princess commented, eyebrows raised as she cast an appraising glance in his direction.

"Y- _Your_ —knight?" Mipha cocked her head to one side, her eyes flicking between Link and the princess. 

Princess Zelda nodded, frowning. "Indeed, shortly after my last visit to the Domain, my father appointed the Hero as my personal knight from now on. He will be formally inaugurated at the ceremony this afternoon."

"Oh! I-" the Zora Princess looked genuinely shocked and, for just a flicker of a second, upset by this news. "I had no idea!" She paused a moment, thoughtful. "So, appointed knight? Does this mean that you two spend a—a great deal of time together?"

Sighing, the princess's fingers gripping on her plate clenched as she confirmed, "Yes. As my appointed knight, he is to watch over me wherever I go, in the castle and out. I imagine it's quite a dull job."

Link pressed his lips together, wanting to make a quip about how the job was anything but dull, particularly when his charge thought it amusing to slip her guard and wander the grounds alone at night when there were Yiga agents sneaking around, but it wasn't his place, so he remained quiet.

Smoothing her features, Mipha forced a serene smile. "I-I see, well, I assure you, Princess, you couldn't be in better hands. Link is an incredible swordsman, as I'm sure you know. Many of my generation have his careful training to thank for their superior spear skills and techniques—myself included—which is impressive to say about any Hylian among Zora." 

"Hmmph."

A gruff tenor muttered something unintelligible, drawing Link's attention to a tall, dark blue and white feathered Rito with haughty green eyes staring down at him, his wings crossed over his chest. It was Revali, the champion of the Rito.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, Your Highness," Revali drawled, his eyes narrowing, "I had never heard of this _little_ _knight_ ,"he spoke the word as if it left a bad taste on his tongue, "until everyone started making a big fuss about this little darkness sealing sword." He sniffed, turning his beak upwards just a bit as he directed his next comment directly at Link. "So pardon me for not fawning over you just yet, little Hylian. I intend to withhold judgement until you actually prove to do something heroic."

Link met the Rito's gaze unflinchingly and simply shrugged. He honestly agreed with Revali—he hadn't yet done anything worthy of being called a hero and therefore had nothing to prove. Not until Ganon returned, anyways. Link was used to being disliked by now after spending every waking hour with a princess who clearly despised him. Why should this Rito be any different? 

Revali, however, did not seem to appreciate the indifference and glared after Link as the knight took his seat at the table, immediately turning his attention to the food on his plate.

"Oh, don't mind him," a woman whispered from beside him. Link glanced over, recognizing the tall, statuesque Gerudo woman, Urbosa, from the afternoon before when she'd come directly to the princess's room upon arriving at the castle. Suvi had helpfully informed him that the Gerudo champion had been quite a close friend to the late queen of Hyrule and was now a mixture of both mother and sister to the princess.

Link had quickly decided that he trusted the red headed warrior, immediately sensing that the woman had just as much personal stake in the princess's well being as he did—probably more in many ways.

"He's been grumbling to anyone who will listen ever since he learned that it was your job to defeat Ganon and we champions are simply here to support the battle."

The furrow between his eyebrows deepened as he thought over what she said. Why would that bother anyone? He was the one who was going face to face with an ancient demon—who could possibly be jealous of that?

"He's a talented warrior, it's true," Urbosa commented with a wry grin, reading his silence well. "But he sure thinks a lot of himself, that one. I think he expected this to be a competition to see who could beat Ganon first and now it will never be his name alone that people whisper and tell legends about. Because of you." 

Link pressed his lips together. It's not like he asked for any of this to happen, it just did. Why couldn't anyone seem to understand that?

"Don't worry yourself too much about it," Urbosa assured him. "It's his problem, not yours. You just need to be aware that he's probably not going to play nicely where you're concerned. Besides," She sighed, glancing up the table to where the princess sat, nibbling at a pastry as she chatted with Impa and Purah, who were both honored guests at the ceremony. "I know you have your hands full keeping her safe, so try not to concern yourself with petty rivals and focus on what's truly important." A soft smile graced the seasoned warrior's lips as she watched the princess who was like a daughter to her for a moment before turning back to the young knight beside her.

Link considered her a moment, before nodding, a determined gleam sparking in his eye as he glanced over at the princess once more before settling into the best meal he'd had in quite some time.

Eventually, everyone finished their meal and the champion's and guests disbursed to various corners of the castle grounds. Zelda was ecstatic that Urbosa had somehow convinced her appointed knight to take a few hours for himself and meet them in the Sanctum for the inauguration ceremony.

"Urbosa, I must admit that I am curious," Zelda said with an almost gleeful smile. She was so happy, she honestly considered skipping along the path as they stepped out into the sunshine among a maze of perfectly manicured flowering shrubs. The princess had pulled out the Sheikah slate and was pointing it at the various flowers, snapping pictures as she went.

"How did you persuade the hero to let me be for the morning? No matter how many times I've told him to just go away, he never leaves my side during the day. It's quite irritating, actually."

"Oh, it was easy," Urbosa laughed, her tall stiletto heels clicking among the cobblestones as they strolled a leisurely pace about the garden. "All I had to do was ask. You see, Little Bird, he trusts me to protect you with my life."

Zelda's smile at the familiar endearment, quickly shifted to a frown as her gaze darkened and she glared down at the ground, watching the toes of her golden slippers peek from beneath her deep blue velvet gown with each step. 

"There is no need for him to be so overprotective of me in my own home," she grumbled, kicking a stray pebble out of her way. "It has become quite tiresome." 

Urbosa raised a questioning eyebrow, and didn't say anything for a moment. "I don't think that's the only thing bothering you." she finally commented, choosing her words carefully. 

Zelda was quiet, her eyebrows knitting together as she raised her gaze to the pristine, cloudless sky above, letting out a shaky breath. 

"No. It's not." Her voice quaked and her shoulders shook slightly as she spoke in a near whisper.

Urbosa stopped, touching Zelda's shoulder, encouraging her to turn around and face her. "Then what is it that is troubling you so, Little Bird?" she asked softly. 

Still staring up at the sky, Zelda's mind spun with everything that was bothering her. Her fears and anxieties and frustrations and _him._ So many things attached to _him._ Her eyes stung with traitorous tears and she blinked hard to try and stave them off before looking around to make sure no one was around to witness her emotional breakdown. 

"I am so _tired_ , Urbosa," she began in a hushed tone, thick with unshed tears. "Tired of feeling like a failure—of _being_ a failure. And I am tired of having it pointed out to me every single day of my life." 

She exhaled another shaky breath, pressing a hand to her heart as she tried to compose herself, lest a nosy courtier spy upon them and find a new tendril of juicy gossip to spread about the court. Thankfully, the Gerudo chieftainess had a commanding presence that intimidated most of the Hylian court into keeping their distance when she was around. 

"You know how hard I have tried—for ten years I have prayed to a goddess who is deaf to my devotion and for what?" She sniffled, blinking back her tears as she continued. "In a single moment, all of that effort was rendered meaningless by the revelation of that cursed sword!"

Zelda's lip trembled as Urbosa pulled her into the kind of embrace that only a mother could give. 

"Oh, Little Bird. First of all, you are not a failure, and you know it."

"Tell that to my father," Zelda muttered in a muffled voice, earning a small chuckle from the older woman.

"I don't think he believes you to be a failure either, but that is an entirely different discussion," she said, pulling back and gently wiping a tear from the princess's cheek. "And that sword has done nothing to you. I can't tell you why your power hasn't awakened, but I know you and I know you have put every ounce of effort and devotion into this. It will pay off in the end, I am positive, and you are going to save us all." Her soft smile shifted to a roguish smirk as she added, "This isn't over, and I'm going to be right behind you with Vah Naboris when you are ready to crush Ganon back into the farthest reaches of hell where he belongs."

Zelda choked out a laugh. "Indeed. I am counting on it." She smiled up at the older woman, wiping her eyes once more. "Thank you, Urbosa, truly. You always know just what to say to make me feel better."

"Anytime, Little Bird. Anytime." The Gerudo woman's expression shifted to a kind smile and she pointed to the Sheikah slate. "Now, come and show me the wondrous things on that bit of stone you were so excited to show me just a few minutes ago."

Zelda smiled and nodded, gladly obliging to any encouragement that allowed her to chatter on about her love of the ancient technologies. As she pointed out all of the incredible features of the Sheikah slate, Zelda felt her heart lighten considerably, her mood in that moment matching the beautiful day.

\---

Over in another part of the castle, Link had taken the opportunity to spend his rare free hours before the ceremony in the company of another princess. Or, rather, an old friend who also happened to be a princess.

It really hadn't taken much for Urbosa to convince Link to leave the princess's side for a few hours. He understood that the she was not only capable of protecting the princess, but was absolutely devoted to the princess's wellbeing in a way few others could claim. In short, the knight trusted the Gerudo warrior implicitly.

The chittering of small birds sounded through the air over the dull roar of a nearby waterfall as the Hylian knight and the Zora princess strolled along the top of the castle wall near the docks. Between being a low trafficked part of the castle and the ambient noises, it felt almost as if they'd left their busy lives at Hyrule castle behind and had stepped into another time and place entirely, one reminiscent of simpler times.

Mipha paused, hands resting upon the parapet of the stone wall, gazing out across the moat to the sun dappled apple orchards beyond. 

"You know," she said in her soft bell chime voice that gave Link the impression that she was singing rather than speaking. "You've changed since the last time I saw you."

Link simply raised an eyebrow and smiled crookedly, leaning forward, his elbows propped on the wall. 

"You've certainly grown," she observed with a small laugh. "But you're still quite small, aren't you? Even for a Hylian." 

"Pfft." Link scoffed, making a face that clearly communicated his amused disdain over the jokes about his height, or lack thereof. It had been over five years since he'd last been in Zora's Domain, and though he'd had a few growth spurts since then, he was still quite short compared to his countrymen.

"But it's more than that," Mipha continued, the jewels and metal links of her headdress clinking together as she turned to watch the young knight thoughtfully. " _You_ are different. I suppose it should come as no surprise that you are no longer the reckless child I remember," she mused. "Everyone has to grow up sometime and Hylians do it so much faster than we Zora do." 

Of course he had changed, more than anyone could know. Link knew this, but didn't know how to put the how and the why of it into words. If he was going to tell anyone, it would be Mipha, the Zora who had been better than a sister to him for the better part of his childhood. But he couldn't. Or, rather, he didn't know how.

"And I certainly don't remember you being the quiet type. In fact, the Link I remember could be quite cocky and always had a joke about everything. But I don't think I've heard you utter even a dozen words since I've arrived. It's like—" she paused, peering more closely at her friend, concern etched upon her lovely features. "—you're not quite here with me. Your eyes are half on the horizon, as if you're looking to a future I can't see. I wonder why that is, exactly?"

Link turned slightly to face her and smiled sadly. He'd forgotten how observant his friend could be. She'd always had a way of looking past the surface to the heart of a person. To the heart of _him_. The truth was, his mind was, indeed, half on the future these days, but only because of the calamity and ruin that would befall them all if he failed. 

How could he even consider dumping the weight of his burden on her? The master sword had shown him terrible things, things that haunted his waking and sleeping moments. Sure, she was a champion and had committed her life to protecting Hyrule, just like him, but somehow it wasn't the same. The fate of the realm didn't rest entirely on her—she could walk away anytime she wanted. They all could. But not him.

Revealing the terrible burden that had fallen upon his shoulders to anyone would place that same burden on them, and he didn't think that was right. The idea of bringing such worry and anxiety to anyone just so he wouldn't have to carry the knowledge alone felt like the ultimate selfishness. 

Besides, knowledge wouldn't change anything. In the end, it all fell to him and that was something he thought no one could understand.

Though he still maintained the appearance of nonchalance, leaning as he was over the parapets, he looked down a moment and clenched his fists before whispering, "I'm sorry."

Her rosebud red lips formed a perfect little "o" of surprise before she shook her head to stop him. "It's certainly nothing to apologize for." Her amber gaze softened as she looked him over, searching for something. She paused with an intake of breath, her eyes fixed upon the master sword before she added slowly, "I imagine, it can't be easy—being _the_ chosen one."

Huffing out a quiet laugh as his booted toe idly scuffed against the stone wall, Link rolled his eyes as if to say, _"You have no idea."_

"Indeed," she murmured, scooting half a step closer and smiling softly. "Well then, there's at least one thing I'm grateful for."

Eyebrows flicking upwards, Link tilted his head to one side, curious.

"I was already happy to lay down my life to protect my people, but now—" Eyes twinkling, her smile was beatific. "—now I'm grateful that I get to help _you_ in your quest to defend all of Hyrule. Besides—" Her expression shifted to a playful glimmer as she bumped her shoulder against his. "If you're nearly as reckless as I remember, you'll need me nearby to constantly heal your wounds."

Ducking his head, Link flushed, chuckling, if only because he knew she was right. He was not known for his caution when it was his own life at stake. Looking back up, his crystalline blue gaze meeting hers, he could see the underlying care and concern simmering beneath her attempt at teasing. 

Smiling the smallest of smiles, Link nodded as he murmured, almost imperceptibly, "Thank you."

Taking one last glance at the shimmering waters below, Mipha nodded with a renewed smile towards the waterfall just past the castle wall. "Now, come," she took his hand and tugged him along. "You know I have never been to Hyrule Castle before. I would like to see these so-called castle waterfalls before the ceremony with my own eyes."

With a smile, Link gestured for the Zora princess to lead the way and the pair continued their stroll along the castle wall, enjoying a few shining hours of peace in each other's company before they were to be officially inaugurated as champions and their lives would change forever.


	10. Photographic Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The champions are officially appointed in a ceremony with the King. A reception is held in the garden afterwards.

The hours flew by and before Link knew it, the ceremony was upon them. The champions assembled in the Sanctum, each wearing the new garment made specially for them and lined up in an arc behind the princess. Sunbeams streamed in through the arching glass windows high above, bathing them in warmth, almost as if the goddess herself were pouring out her blessing over the individuals gathered for the momentous occasion.

Link was positioned directly behind the princess, between Mipha and Urbosa, standing at ease with his hands clasped behind his back. He wore the tunic Princess Zelda had constructed for him, and in spite of the awkward encounter several weeks before, it fit perfectly, though the lack of plate mail had the young Hylian knight feeling mildly off balance. He'd managed to commission a set of thin leather armor from the garrison blacksmith to wear beneath, so he wasn't completely devoid of his usual layers, but after years of wearing the full plate armor of a knight, this new uniform would take some getting used to.

Glancing around, he could see the knights of the castle garrison standing in formation to one side of the hall and he caught both Camin and Brin grinning at him though they maintained their at attention stance, Brin even shot him a cheeky wink. He allowed a small ghost of a smile upon his lips and nodded in reply. On the other side of the hall stood the nobility and honored guests from the various races, to include that Sheikah bard who only had eyes for the princess, while many of the staff and folks from Castle Town were watching from the overlooks above. He noted a figure standing in the shadows of a column. Eyes narrowing, he peered up, relaxing only once he recognized Suvi peering back as she gave him a little wave. 

Trumpets sounded, their regal melody echoing in the cavernous chamber, announcing the arrival of King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule, and Link's attention snapped immediately to the balcony in the front of the room. He, along with everyone else in the great hall, save for the princess, knelt in deference to their king until they were bid to rise.

"Welcome warriors!" the deep bass voice boomed from above as he addressed the five individuals assembled before him. "I'd like to thank you for joining me here today, and for your bravery in accepting this—fateful task." 

His gaze drifted over each of the champions as he spoke, pausing a moment as he met Link's eye, the glimmer of hope and expectation present in his expression falling upon the young knight like a stone. In spite of the weight of his burden, Link stood a little taller, determined to see his duty through, no matter the personal cost. 

King Rhoam cleared his throat imperceptibly as he continued, "I officially appoint you Hyrule's champions and bestow upon you this sacred garb. This blue is a symbol of the royal family, one that has been passed down for countless generations. Those garments you now wear were all crafted by my daughter, Zelda."

The older man's expression softened as his focus fell upon the princess, his next words directed solely to her. And perhaps it was because it had become second nature to watch the princess's every move, but Link couldn't help but notice that she tensed in an almost invisible cringe before straightening to her full height beneath her father's attention.

"Zelda, I trust you with the task that only a daughter of the royal family can fulfill. Lead our champions, Princess. And together, protect our kingdom from the threat of Calamity Ganon." 

The king's arms spread wide as he gestured to all of them with the parting words of his speech. King Rhoam led Hyrule's armies and therefore, Link was familiar with his rallying speeches—this speech being no different. The king had a way of inspiring confidence and determination in his knights with but a few words, and Link felt a renewed sense of honor and loyalty to the cause.

After that, each champion stepped forward, kneeling to swear the same oath of fealty to the princess. Except Link. As his task was a bit different, he swore two oaths—one as a champion devoted to helping her to defend Hyrule and another as her appointed knight devoted to defending and protecting her through it all.

When the oaths were complete, she bid him rise and he did, his solemn gaze meeting hers for a moment. He saw something simmering in her eyes aside from the usual disdain that he couldn't quite define—almost like confusion, as if he were a puzzle she was trying to work out. 

If he was being honest, Link still didn't know how he felt about all of this, having been swept up into this destiny outside his control. He was, of course, completely devoted to defending the princess and all of Hyrule from the Calamity, regardless of how she felt about him personally. But, now that he was a champion with a new uniform that made him stick out even more than the sword already did, all eyes were on him and he felt as if the pressure to succeed had increased exponentially. 

But this was not the time for such musings. The ceremony had concluded and the champions were now to leave the Sanctum to greet the people waiting outside. They made their way past the crowds in a sort of parade as they headed towards one of the garden gazebos where they would enjoy a small private social and watch a fireworks display that had been prepared in celebration of the new hope that had settled over a Hyrule waiting in anticipation of their coming victory. 

Link kept his usual position just a few paces behind the princess as they left the Sanctum with the other champions in a cluster around them. The people who had been there to witness the ceremony now waited just outside, lined up on either side of the path, cheering and waving as they passed. 

Though Link maintained his stoic expression, he couldn't help but feel a small bit of warmth spark within him at the cheers and accolades of the crowd. Sure, the expectations could be crushing, to say the least, but he could see exactly who he was fighting for and the fact that they had faith in their team was encouraging. 

"Wow!" breathed Mipha, who had fallen into step beside him, while Daruk thundered along on his other side. "So many people! I've never been around this many people who weren't Zora before!" Her whispery voice trembled with awe as she smiled and waved to the crowd. 

"Hmm..." Daruk hummed, stroking his beard. "I guess this is a lot, isn't it? Not many gorons here since we don't like to leave our mountain—the rocks aren't as delectable down here, you know. I never thought much about it, but I gotta say," he laughed, grinning wide as he waved a massive hand at the crowd, nearly knocking Link off balance with his elbow. "It sure is nice to see these people we're gonna be protecting with our divine beasts."

Link hummed and nodded, though he was suddenly distracted by the Rito champion just ahead of him who was positively preening under the attention of the people cheering on the champions.

"Finally, the praise and adoration that _I_ deserve," the Rito drawled, fluffing his feathers and tossing his head back as he practically strutted past. "Soon, they'll all be singing my praises when I finally get a chance to demonstrate my incredible archery skill and Vah Medoh's power."

Urbosa snorted, her voluminous red locks bouncing as she shook her head in amusement. "Keep telling yourself that. Can you not hear who's name they are shouting?"

The princess's shoulders tensed as Link cocked his head to one side, trying to focus through the din, his cheeks going pink and the knot in his gut growing tighter as he heard the words "Hero of Hyrule" shouted more often than anything else. 

"Hmph..." Revali glanced over his shoulder, a single beady green eye narrowing as it settled on the one for whom many of the cheers were directed. "Pathetic," he muttered, turning back to his preening for the crowds as if nothing had happened.

Logically, Zelda understood that the Hero was crucial to defeating Ganon. History told of it time and time again, and even if she did manage to unlock her powers, they would never be able to win without him. So the fact that the people should be cheering for the return of their Hero was only natural. 

Emotionally, however, those cheers were yet another reminder of her perpetual failure to claim her own crucial destiny. They would all fail if she didn't succeed. 

She did not allow her anxiety and sadness and frustration to show on her face, however. Instead, she wore her signature serene smile, though she felt anything but, at the moment. 

Finally, the crowd was behind them and they'd arrived at the gazebo where it was much quieter and more private. Sighing with relief, Zelda turned to her companions and smiled, her hands clasped primly before her.

"I'd like to personally thank you for your dedication to the protection of Hyrule in the upcoming fight against Calamity Ganon. Each and every one of you is an inspiration and a valued member of our team." 

As she spoke the words she'd prepared for this moment, her heart warmed and the tension slowly melted from her shoulders. The knowledge that, in spite of her failures, she was not alone in the fight was a small encouragement indeed.

"Please, everyone," she finished, gesturing to the tables laden with tiny finger foods, "Enjoy these refreshments and let us take this time to continue getting to know one another."

A light breeze wafted through the shaded gazebo, bringing a welcome relief from the mid afternoon heat that had become uncomfortable to the princess in her deep blue velvet gown. Glancing over her shoulder, Zelda was about to ask Urbosa if she'd like a glass of the ice cold punch when the words died on her lips. The gerudo chieftainess had already strolled to the other side of the shaded deck and had pulled the Hero into a quiet conversation. Or, rather, she was speaking to him as he seemed to only really be nodding or shaking his head with his signature stoic expression.

Eyebrows furrowing, Zelda simply watched a moment, her gaze drifting over the five champions scattered about the gazebo before she was distracted by a familiar voice calling for her.

"Princess! Hey! Princess!" It was Purah hurrying up the walkway, waving enthusiastically as a rather disgruntled Impa trotted along by her side. 

"Jeez, Purah," Impa grumbled. "Is it really necessary to shout across the castle grounds like that?"

"Of course not!" Purah laughed, rolling her eyes. "It's only necessary if I want to get her attention, silly!" The petite Sheikah scientist bounded the last few steps, coming to a stop at the princess's side and holding out a small stone device.

All previous worries and frustrations forgotten, Zelda smiled at the arrival of her friends. 

"I've finished the calibrations to your Sheikah slate, your highness! You should now experience a significantly lower cool down time between actions."

Before Zelda could reply, Impa cut in, smirking, "Don't forget to tell her about how you blew a hole in your laboratory wall with those bombs you were playing around with." 

Purah shot a glare at her sister. "I was getting there!"

Zelda gasped, a hand flying to cover her mouth. "Purah! How awful! Are-are you ok? Is your laboratory ok?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine!" Purah waved a dismissive hand, clucking her tongue. "Everything is just fine. Sometimes you have to have a few explosions to make a breakthrough. That's just the life of a researcher, which you should know as well as anyone."

"True," Zelda chuckled, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I suppose I'm just glad you are ok. But—wait." She blinked, doing a double take as a thought occurred to her. "Did you say, _bombs?_ As in explosives? On the Sheikah slate?!"

The quiet conversations amongst the other champions had halted and all eyes were watching the princess and her guests curiously.

"Well, yes!" Purah beamed, practically jumping up and down with excitement. "I was really quite pleased when I got that rune to function properly! Can you imagine how much easier excavations will be with an unlimited supply of bombs at your disposal?" 

Zelda could imagine and was excited at the prospect of testing it out, however, she was all too aware of her surroundings and the castle that her father would be none to pleased about having blown up by accident.

"Hmph. So this is the Sheikah slate, eh?" 

Zelda startled as a feathered wing plucked the slate from her hands. It was Revali, eyeing the small stone relic with a critical eye, tilting it to one side and then the other. He did not look impressed.

"It is," she answered, eager to discuss her pet project with anyone who showed any hint of interest. "Apparently there are more uses for it than we originally thought. Sadly, we've yet to decipher all of its secrets."

Revali didn't reply, only staring at the small device a moment longer before plopping it unceremoniously into Mipha's hands, earning a small gasp of surprise from the Zora champion. Mipha simply stared down at it, wide eyed, as if she'd never seen such technology before in her life.

"The princess showed me something strange recently," Urbosa piped up, walking over to look over the Zora princess's shoulder. "Somehow, it can create true-to-life images."

"Oh! Wow!" Mipha breathed, her lips barely parted in wonder as she added softly, "I would love to see it." She was quiet a moment, her expression thoughtful before glancing up as she addressed the Hylian princess, "Um—princess? May I ask a special favor of you?" Her smile was beatific as she looking over her shoulder at the Hero and Zelda couldn't help but wonder why she was looking at him in such a way. So soft and—almost—longing? Odd. 

"Oh, of course!" Zelda replied quickly with a warm smile. "Whatever you need Mipha, you have but to ask it of me and it shall be done."

Turning back, Mipha nodded and held out the Sheikah slate. "Well, I was thinking—we may have all just met, but we are a team now—almost like a family? Yes? And, well, I thought it might be nice to use your device to capture an image of us all together, in case—" she paused, worrying her lip as she momentarily appeared as if she were about to cry. Shaking her head, she cleared her throat and smiled once more. "Well, I would like it as a memento of our time together, anyways." 

Blinking, a slow smile spread across Zelda's face. A picture? Of—people? Why hadn't she thought of that? Her mind had immediately started planning out every scientific use she could think of for the camera, but never once had she considered using the device to capture an image of her favorite people for posterity.

"Why, what a lovely idea!" Zelda answered eagerly. "Of course we can take a picture together. Excuse me!" she called out to get the attention of the other champions. "Could you please come over here so we can take a team picture?" 

She turned to the Sheikah scientist beside her and held out the slate. "Purah? Would you be ever so kind enough to take a picture for us?"

"Abso-posi-lutely!" the white haired young woman said, her enthusiasm for the task bubbling up. "We'll get it done quicker than you can say "Click snap! Ok now, hmmm..." The champions had gathered around as her eyes narrowed while she looked around the gazebo, as if some secret were hiding in the shadows.

After a few moments of nothing but muttering from the flighty scientist, Impa nudged her, "Umm—Purah? They're all waiting? On you?"

"Hush you!" Purah waved a dismissive hand without turning her attention from—whatever it was she was looking for. "You can't rush art!"

"Art? But—aren't you a scientist?"

"I can be both!" Purah insisted. I'll have you know that capturing images is both an art and a science."

"If you say so." Impa rolled her eyes and shrugged, glancing over at Princess Zelda who had covered her mouth with a hand in an attempt to keep from giggling out loud.

Purah ignored her sister, pointing to the entrance of the gazebo. "Right here! Everyone, gather right over here! No! No! Daruk, you need to be in the back. Princess, you should be in the middle—Link, right here—Revali..." 

For the most part, the champions were all cooperative, if not amenable to being shuffled around, though Revali was sure to make his displeasure well known as Purah ordered him to stand in one spot only to promptly move him to the other side of the group.

Finally, she smiled in satisfaction and nodded her head as she took a step back. "All right! This spot should work nicely!" Holding up the Sheikah slate, she peered at the screen, her eyes scrunching up as she tinkered with the device, shifting the angle this way and then that as the champions waited. 

"Hmmm...hey, Daruk? Could you crouch down a bit? You're as big as Death Mountain!"

"Purah! Don't be so rude!" Impa hissed from beside her, looking absolutely mortified.

"What? He is!"

"Ugh. You are the worst."

Purah ignored her, fussing with the slate once more before looking right at Zelda. "Hey! What's with the glum face, Princess? Gimme a big smile!"

Zelda blinked. She hadn't even realized her expression had slipped. It was hard to explain, even to herself, but even though she was happy to be with her friends, old and new, and relieved to have the champion's inauguration completed, the old anxiety of her own duty to all of them had begun to creep up in her mind once again.

A gentle hand touched her shoulder and Zelda looked up into the kind, concerned gaze of Urbosa. The older Gerudo woman raised an eyebrow, her warm, caring expression reminding the princess that she was not alone. They were all on her side. At that, the knot of anxiety within her began to loosen ever so slightly and she was able to reapply her usual serene smile. 

"Revali! Move your tail closer to the group!" Purah called out from behind the Sheikah slate.

"Ugh. Fine," the Rito champion muttered, turning and shifting closer to Urbosa.

"Mipha, you look so tense. Deep breaths, ok?"

Zelda glanced at the Zora princess from the corner of her eye and immediately tensed as she realized that _he_ was right there, just behind her with almost no space between them. Straightening, she kept her eyes straight forward, ignoring the fact that she'd caught his scent in the soft breeze—almost a mix of snow and pine. She also ignored the fact that she could feel him shuffle in place as Mipha took a few shaky breaths and tried to loosen herself up on his other side.

"Alright! Stay just like that! Here we go!"

Zelda couldn't help but smile a bit more as she heard Urbosa shift beside her, sighing impatiently. Even the wise chieftainess was becoming bored.

Just as Purah called out a cheerful "Click! Snap!" from behind the Sheikah slate, Daruk chuckled. Zelda gasped, crying out in surprise as he wrapped all five of them in a massive Goron hug, her feet leaving the ground as she was squeezed between the now squawking Rito champion, and pressed right up against the Hero's chest. The only thing that surprised her more was the fact that he shouted out in surprise right along with the rest of them. 

"Ugh! You ruffled my feathers!" Revali groaned as he turned on the Goron champion, glaring daggers. Urbosa just laughed and Zelda could have sworn she heard the Gerudo woman mutter quietly, "Your feathers are always ruffled."

Revali rounded on the Goron and demanded, "Why did you do that?!" 

"It seemed like a good idea," Daruk shrugged, not phased one bit by the outrage roiling off of the seething Rito champion. "Group hugs are always a hit with the other Goron."

Mipha gasped to catch her breath and Zelda pressed a hand to her heart, mentally trying to order the flush in her cheeks to go away. She glanced over to see the Hero watching her intently, his eyebrows furrowed in a silent question. 

_Are you ok?_

She blinked, her own eyebrows knitting together. She was fine, of course. It wasn't as if she were made of porcelain that would break at the slightest provocation. Surely he must know that—it was odd that he looked so concerned over such an harmlessly amusing incident. Yet another thing she failed to understand about this silent knight. 

Turning back to where Impa was now berating her sister for taking so long that the picture was ruined and now they'd have to do it all over again. Purah insisted it wasn't that bad.

"Wait, I would like to see the picture, if you please," Zelda said quickly, holding out her hands for the device. Anything to distract her from yet another awkward encounter with her appointed knight. 

Purah handed it over, grinning. Taking the slate, Zelda looked down, stunned a moment as she looked at the image before her. Daruk was grinning hugely in a way only a Goron could. Urbosa looked highly amused and not a bit unruffled in the slightest. Revali and Mipha, however both looked extremely caught off guard, their mouths wide open. Then there was the Hero, who she was amused to see looking surprised. She'd never seen him look anything less than stoic and brooding, ready for anything. It was interesting to see him capable of exhibiting an emotion as acute as surprise. 

Then Zelda noticed her own expression and burst into laughter. She doubled over, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "Oh, for Hylia's sake!" she giggled. "My face! It's so funny!" 

The others gathered around her, most getting a chuckle along with her. Even Revali cracked the barest hint of a smile.

"I think I quite like the picture," Zelda finally said, once she'd collected herself. "I shall keep it, I believe. However, perhaps we could take just one more?"

As Revali let out an enormous groan, Zelda added with a small smile, "Unless, of course, you would prefer to stand for hours while the royal artist paints an official champion's portrait?"

Eyes widening, the Rito quieted and moved back to his place, even going so far as to look more pleasant this time around. 

As the champions gathered around with much less murmuring, Zelda felt her smile growing into a much more natural expression. As she stood there, surrounded by her teammates—her _friends—_ her usual burden lightened. For that brief moment anyways, she felt that maybe, just maybe everything was going to be ok.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was entirely based off of the final memory of the Champion's Ballad. It ended up being a mixture of my own take of the memory and hints of inspiration from the scene from AOC just after the ceremony.


	11. Link Starts to Understand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At Daruk’s suggestion, the champions gather upon the sacred grounds for yet another ceremony for the appointed knight. Later on, when Zelda has trouble sleeping, Link quietly tries to help.

Leaves rustled in the nearby tree line, punctuated by the occasional clip clopping of horses hooves traveling past on the road—the only sounds surrounding the subdued group gathered upon the sacred grounds. Late afternoon sunlight filtered through leafy branches, bathing the area in a golden glow. The scent of freshly bloomed wildflowers tickled Princess Zelda’s nose as she gazed down at the Hero kneeling before her, his head bowed as they all awaited her to bestow the goddess's blessing upon her chosen knight.

The Hero, like the rest of the champions, had donned the sacred blue garment gifted him as part of his inauguration. It was yet one more thing that set him apart as special, much like that sword strapped to his back. He was the chosen Hero and a champion though he’d yet to actually do anything to earn such titles.

The shining moment of peace Zelda had found just hours before had carried her through most of the afternoon. Until this moment when words failed her, it had been difficult to feel the full weight of her unfulfilled duty while surrounded by laughter and the warmth of growing friendships, both new and old.

Urbosa, the surrogate mother Zelda knew she could always rely on, was a comfort as usual. The princess had merely to look at the older Gerudo woman to know that at least one person believed in her and accepted her exactly as she was.

Revali, haughty and proud though he was, could also be counted as a friend. Zelda could see that he was fiercely loyal and cared about protecting his home as much as she did. However, she had to admit she found his clear disdain for the Hero to be curious, if not relatable. She knew her own frustration stemmed from how easily everything came to the Hero who shared her destiny while she had struggled for over a decade. It wasn’t fair! But Revali? What could possibly motivate the proud Rito's clear dislike for the Hylian knight who never uttered a word?

Mipha, a fellow princess of the realm, had been an acquaintance for many years, but Zelda was now certain she could call the extraordinarily kind and gentle Zora a friend. Though Zelda couldn’t help but observe Mipha’s growing agitation throughout the day. Truly, it was the strangest thing. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought there was a correlation between the Zora princess’s strange behavior and the Hero’s proximity. But why?

The Hero, of course, remained a mystery. He never spoke and she found his unfathomable stoic expression unsettling, to put it mildly. He was protective of her royal person beyond reason, but clearly that was only because it was his job. She had recently determined that the only logical explanation for his continued silence was that he surely must despise her for her failure. She told herself that she didn't care.

Then there was Daruk. He was a Goron with a simple view of the world, and yet he possessed a wisdom beyond that of many sages past. That, along with his ever optimistic perspective fixed him affectionately in her mind as a bit of an eccentric uncle.

Though she quickly found that his advice could be a bit, well? Inconvenient. It was Daruk’s advice that had brought them out to the Sacred Grounds. Just after they finished taking the champion’s photograph, the topic of the Hero’s appointment as her knight was broached. 

The Goron champion congratulated both Zelda and the Hero, going on to describe a sacred ceremony said to have been performed between the Princess of Destiny and the Hero of Legend in ages past. The Hero’s usual stoic mask had slipped enough that she had been able to see he was just as uncomfortable with the idea as she was—yet more evidence in her mind that he must be ashamed of being closely associated with her. Zelda had tried to dissuade Daruk from his insistence that they needed to perform the same ancient ceremony for “the little guy” by pointing out that they had already had a ceremony before the King. But Daruk insisted that they needed to make things official like all of the princesses and heroes of the past, claiming it’s what the goddess would want for her chosen hero, after all.

It was against her better judgement, but she had relented, and that was how the champions had come to be there upon the dais in the sacred grounds where knights of the realm traditionally swore their oaths of fealty to the royal family. The Hero knelt obediently before her, head bowed, as he waited ever silently for her to begin.

Zelda’s heart thumped in her chest, her mouth dry as she held out her hand, trying to find the words to speak that would be appropriate for such a blessing. Of course, she wanted to do what was right by the goddess—her ancestor.

Her desire to do what was right battled with the overwhelming defeat spiraling inside whenever she looked at the silent knight. Or, rather, whenever she looked at that cursed sword strapped to his back. Her throat was tight and breathing a bit difficult as her hand shook—the distinct lack of a triforce mark on it a stark reminder that she had yet to fulfill her own destiny.

“Hero of Hyrule…” she began, her voice wavering as she blinked back the traitorous tears threatening to spill over and ruin everything. She did not want to be doing this—pretending that everything was ok when it most certainly was not ok.

It was too late. She was there and she had an audience. They were waiting. Exhaling a deep breath, she continued, the words coming more easily, if a bit lifeless, “Chosen by The Sword That Seals The Darkness. You have shown unflinching bravery and skill in the face of darkness and adversity. And have proven yourself worthy of the blessings of the goddess, Hylia. Whether skyward bound, adrift in time, or steeped in the glowing embers of twilight, the sacred blade is forever bound to the soul of the hero. We pray for your protection, and we hope that—“ A pause as she steeled herself for these next words, fighting the bitterness in her heart as she tried to sound as genuine as possible. “We hope that the two of your will grow stronger together as one.”

The princess huffed a shaky breath, her hand falling to her side as her shoulders slumped in defeat. Swallowing hard, she knew she wasn’t finished and that the sword itself must now be blessed. 

“Forged in the long distant past—“

As the princess continued speaking the blessing, Link remained bowed obediently. He’d honestly wanted to smack his friend when the Goron elder had suggested they perform yet another ceremony that lauded him as some hero when he had yet to do anything to prove himself worthy of the title. Link hated being forced to the center of attention like this. It was one thing when he _chose_ to enter a competition and worked hard to win by his own merit, it was quite another to be shoved unwillingly into the spotlight by “fate” or “destiny”. He was a champion like the rest of them and it made him extremely uncomfortable to be singled out when they were supposed to be a team.

What was worse, the princess sounded extremely unhappy as she spoke what was supposed to be a blessing over him. He wasn’t the best at judging emotions, but Link could have sworn she sounded like she was going to cry. Did she hate him that much? The princess’s behavior toward him ever since he’d been appointed her knight was still a mystery to him.

Then there were the other champions murmuring behind him. They must have thought they were being subtle, but he was alert and his sharp ears could hear every word they spoke. 

“Gee, this is uplifting,” Daruk muttered. “She’s making it sound like we already lost.”

“Wasn’t this your idea?” Revali hissed, puffing out his feathers in irritation. “You’re the one who wanted to designate the appointed knight with all of the ceremonial pomp, grandeur and nonsense we could muster. And if you ask me, the whole thing seems to be overkill. I think I’m on the same page as the princess regarding…this boy.”

If he didn’t have his eyes shut, Link would have rolled them. Well, at least they were in agreement on one thing. This ceremony was most certainly overkill. Though he couldn’t help but wonder what the Rito meant by being on the same page as the princess regarding him. Did the Rito champion despise him as much as the princess did? Not that it mattered. He had a duty and the entire realm was counting on him. No amount of disdain from anyone was going to stop him from doing what was right.

“Oh, give it a rest!” Link's lips twitched into a smirk as Urbosa snapped. “That _boy_ is a living reminder of her own failures. Well, at least, that’s how the princess sees him.”

Head still bowed, Link’s eyebrows knit together. What did that mean? How was he a reminder of her failures? What failures? If this was true, it explained a lot. He’d heard the gossip about the princess's inability to unlock her power, but he didn’t hold to such nonsense. The goddess’s power would awaken when the time was right, he was confident of that. But Link couldn’t understand why the princess might think such a thing had anything to do with _him_.

All was silent while his thoughts raced inside his head, trying to make sense of Urbosa’s comment until the princess finally said, her voice almost a whisper, “You may rise—Hero.”

Cringing once more at being called something he wasn’t, Link got to his feet and met the princess’s gaze with his own. Her eyes were wide and sad, her eyebrows furrowed and her lips set in a sorrowful downward curve. The sight of her looking so utterly defeated was enough to tug at his heart, almost breaking his perpetual stoic mask. 

Over the weeks since finding the sword and receiving his appointment as the captain of the princess’s personal guard, he’d been stuck in an almost panicked auto pilot, trying to ignore the sword’s constant whispers and visions of calamity as he carried the hopes and expectations of the entire realm upon his shoulders. The truth was, in the midst of all of that, he hadn’t spared much thought how she must be feeling or _why_ she treated him with such utter dislike. 

While he still believed that the ceremony had been too much, it had certainly given him a lot to think about.

———

Hours later, night had fallen and each of the champions had retired to their quarters for the night as Zelda left her appointed knight at the door to her quarters. A blanket of quiet had fallen upon the castle grounds, broken only by the humming and buzzing of insects that came out only after the sun went down. Candles had been lit in the princess's chambers, the dim light flickering against the stone walls as her pacing shadow interrupted the vague semblance of peace. 

It had been a busy day, filled with pomp, ceremony and royal expectations. Typically, Zelda embraced such duties, as these were things she excelled at—tasks her royal training had prepared her for that she could achieve in a tangible way. With the exception of the awkward sacred ceremony that afternoon, all had been a success and she was pleased.

In spite of the successes of the day, the calm of night brought with it the familiar spiral of anxiety and worry. In the quiet seclusion of her room, Zelda could allow the serene mask to fall and she could give into her need to fidget and pace as her mind raced with everything she still needed to do. The Divine Beasts would need studying and calibrating—she would send Sheikah researchers ahead to assist the champions until she could visit them personally. The champions needed training—something she didn't even know where to begin with seeing as she wasn't quite sure how to get the machines to move. She hoped that they would sort out the how of the beasts as they went along. 

She paused her pacing, resting her hands on the surface of her vanity and looking into the mirror. Faint dark circles lined her wide, sad eyes, brimming with the embers of her failure.

There was still her training to attend to—her cursed power _must_ be awakened or all of this would be for naught. If she couldn't awaken her power, they were all going to die and it would be her fault. Zelda refused to let that happen and felt frustrated that the magic was outside her realm of control. 

Why couldn't it be something she could learn from a book? Or learn about by studying? Why couldn't it be a tangible thing that she could touch and explore and experiment with scientifically?

And while she worked through all of these things, she absolutely had to ensure that her people believed that she had everything under control. There was no room for weakness when she was out among them. The pressure was slowly crushing her, and yet, she knew she had no choice but to push back against it. She _had_ to be strong. For her people.

Her breathing had become rapid and shallow and her attention refused to settle on one thing for any period of time as she moved across the room to sit at her desk to write in her journal, pacing her bedroom a moment later, went up to her study to fidget with a project for five minutes before hurrying back to her bedroom to resume pacing—over and over again. She paced, fighting and failing to resist the urge to nibble at her fingernails in her agitation. 

This was how Suvi found the princess when she returned to turn down the sheets and help the princess prepare for bed. Leaning against the doorframe, the maid crossed her arms and simply watched the princess a moment, an eyebrow raised as she commented, "Did they not feed you well enough at that feast, Your Highness? So hungry you just had to eat your nails, I see."

Unaware that the door had even opened, let alone that she had company, Zelda startled, whirling around with a hand over her heart to face her waiting maid. "Oh! Suvi! I didn't realize you were there—you gave me a fright!"

Pushing away from the door, Suvi grinned cheekily as she walked over to the wardrobe and rummaged around. "Sorry, Princess. I should have made more noise. Perhaps I've been spending too much time with that silent knight of yours." She pulled out the princess's nightdress and robe, turning around and fixing the princess with a coy grin. 

"I'm sorry, but what?" Zelda interrupted, holding up her hands, her eyes wide. "You've been—spending time with — _him_?!"

"Well, yes," Suvi laughed. "But it's not what you think."

Zelda blinked, shaking her head a little to clear it. "I—well, it's not my business, of course, but I must admit that I am curious—"

Suvi grinned as she moved over to lay the garments out on the bed, smoothing the fabric. "Of course you are, and before you go getting any funny notions, romantic or otherwise, you should know that I train with him—when he allows himself any free time, that is."

The princess cocked her head to one side, a curious eyebrow raised. "Er—train? Really? In what?" 

"Yes, really. And in blades, of course. What else? Or, if you want to be specific, he's been training me in daggers, among other things."

"I—I had no idea."

Suvi clucked her tongue and shrugged. "Yes, well, these are dangerous times we're living in and I take my job very seriously."

Zelda smirked, folding her arms. "You are a wonderful lady's maid, the best even. I didn't realize that the job description had expanded to include protecting your charge."

"It doesn't, but if you think I'm just going to stand around helplessly and let something happen to you on my watch, you are mistaken." A smug grin curved across the petite brunette's face as she put a hand on her hip and shifted her weight to her other foot. "Besides, my trainer _is_ rather easy on the eyes, so it's an added benefit."

Eyes narrowing, Zelda pursed her lips, her tone becoming suspicious. "Wait. This wasn't _his_ idea, was it?"

Snorting, Suvi shook her head. "No. It was my idea when I first heard rumors of Yiga setting their sights on you. I started training with him long before he became your knight. You know, back when he still spoke."

"Hmm. You know, I forgot he used to do that," Zelda said dryly.

"It wasn't that long ago." Suvi shrugged, her expression shifting to her more business like tone. "Anyways, I came to help you get ready for bed. It's late and I thought you must be exhausted after such a long day."

Zelda sighed, her eyes drifting to the nearby window. "Yes. I suppose I should at least prepare for bed. But I don't think I could sleep if I tried."

"Again?" Suvi's expression became concerned, her eyebrows knitting together. "Princess, this is the third night—"

"I know!" Zelda groaned, her hand covering her eyes as she collapsed onto the edge of her bed. "I know, it's just that first, I was so worried about the champions arriving, then it was the ceremony, now it's just—well, everything! I have so much to do and just the thought of closing my eyes makes me—" Her voice trailed off as she shivered. 

Suvi sat beside her friend, resting a comforting hand on her back. "That's completely understandable. I get it, there's a lot to do and it feels like there isn't a lot of time. But, Princess. You have to rest or you'll make yourself sick."

"I know you are absolutely correct," Zelda said, sighing. "But I also know that it is futile to even try to lie down, so I may as well get some research done."

"Except you can't calm yourself enough to even do that," Suvi pointed out logically. "Every time I come in here, I find you restless and pacing—and biting your nails!" She glared at the offending fingernails.

Smiling sheepishly, Zelda pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "I am sorry about that. Truly, it's a terrible habit I've gotten myself into."

Suvi pretended to look stern for a moment, but ended up giggling instead. "Oh, don't worry, I'll just have to file them in the morning. Again." She gave the princess's arm a little pat. "But seriously, how about I draw you up a nice warm bath and I'll go see if I can whip up a soothing cup of tea. That way, if you absolutely must study the night away, you can at least relax a little while you do it."

Zelda nodded, a small smile curving her lips. "I think I would quite like that. Thank you, Suvi."

Suvi beamed, immediately popping up to her feet. "Perfect! You just rest right here, I'll have that bath ready faster than you can—well, I'll have it ready in just a few minutes!"

Zelda smiled watching her lady's maid bustle off to the washroom, wondering how it was possible for that girl to possess so much positive energy. 

As she unbraided her hair, tossing aside the tiara and hairpins, allowing the front section of her golden locks to frame her face in gentle waves, she pondered over the fact that, until recently, she considered herself to be rather optimistic, and in many cases, she still was—except when it came to her own destiny. But as she sensed the calamity drawing nearer, her view of herself had declined significantly. She was tired, and frustrated, and felt utterly useless. 

After witnessing the dedication of her team of champions that day, a new spark of hope had ignited in her. It was small, but it was there. The way the pieces were falling into place, she had begun to cling to the tiny scrap of hope that perhaps the cycle would be broken this time around and that the calamity would be overcome by logic and technology instead of baseless faith and magic.

"Your bath is ready, Your Highness." Suvi was back, briefly interrupting the princess from her musings.

"Let's get you settled—" And she quickly helped the princess with the stubborn stays and laces of the velvet royal gown and into her dressing robe before taking her leave. "Take your time and relax. I'll be back soon."

\---

Link had decided to stick around after the princess had left him without a word, as she usually did. Camin had night duty at the main door that evening, and had been whispering about the ceremony, quietly teasing Link about being an overachiever by swearing so many oaths to the royal family.

After an hour of this, Link had just decided to return to the barracks and bid his friend a good evening when the door opened behind him. He turned to look, the smile that had automatically warmed his expression at the sight of another friend melting away at Suvi's worried expression. 

Shutting the door behind her, Suvi slumped against it, sighing as the two knights watched from their posts on either side, various levels of perplexity in their expressions.

"So—um—hi?" Camin said, cocking his head to one side, confused. 

"Hi, Camin," she replied in a low voice, looking up at him with a tired smile. "Sorry. It's just—I'm worried about her."

Link raised an eyebrow and waited. 

Suvi caught his questioning glance and explained, her tone hushed, "Please don't spread this around, but she hasn't been sleeping. She's so stressed and anxious about her duties and, well? Everything. I think it's been building for awhile, but the problem came to a head with the arrival of the champions. It's been three days since she last slept and I've done everything I can to try and help her relax. Honestly, I'm at a loss."

"Pfft. Three days is nothing," Camin scoffed with a joking grin. "I was on a patrol once for training and I don't think we slept for a week."

Link shot the other knight a withering look, shaking his head in a way that clearly communicated, " _Not the same_ ," before turning his attention back to the lady's maid, his eyebrows furrowed and his gaze thoughtful. 

In spite of the constant stream of glares and irritated looks, he had noticed the princess's growing exhaustion over the weeks leading to the champion's ceremony. The truth was, though Link didn't know the details of the princess's ever increasing stress load, he could both relate and sympathize. He hadn't had a proper night's sleep since he'd stumbled across that sword weeks before. Though he had done little to remedy the problem for himself, he did know of a few tricks that might help.

Gesturing for Suvi to follow, Link took off down the hallway. Suvi exchanged a confused look with Camin, shrugging before hurrying to catch up with the departing knight. 

"So, are you going to tell me what this is all about?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow as she hurried to keep step alongside him. 

Link simply smiled mischievously in a manner that clearly said, " _You'll see,_ "glancing at her for a moment to acknowledge the question, but kept walking. 

"Right. So it's a mystery. Got it."

They wound their way in silence through the castle halls and up a few flights of stairs until Link finally stopped in front of a nondescript door on a dimly lit landing.

Suvi looked between Link and the door, eyebrows raised as he quietly inched the door open and stepped inside. Once he lit a candle, the flickering light revealed towering shelves containing vials of odd liquids and dead bugs, baskets and bowls of dried leaves and flowers and drawers of who knew what lining every wall. A long ladder leaned against one of the shelves and a small writing desk was tucked into an alcove on the far end of the room.

"Isn't this the healer's storeroom? Lady Leandra is not going to appreciate you rummaging through her stocks—"

Link snorted, amused, but did not turn away from his search, pawing through drawers and baskets and putting a pinch of this and that into a pair of small sachets he'd pulled from who knew where. Finally, he hunched over a writing desk, grabbing a quill and a few scraps of parchment before scribbling out some notes. He left one on the desk and rolled the other two up, tucking them into the strings keeping the sachets sealed.

Bemused, Suvi glanced at the note on the desk and then to the small parcels Link had prepared. "I'm guessing this isn't your first time doing this?"

Link shrugged, handing over the parcels and murmuring the first words Suvi had heard him speak in almost a month, "Here, this should help."

Before Suvi could reply or even express her surprise, the young knight turned on his heel and walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 1 of this chapter is inspired by BOTW Memory 1: The Subdued Ceremony while Part 2 of this chapter is inspired by the AOC sidequest "Princess in Distress"


	12. Trouble Often Comes in Pairs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The princess and her knight set off for Rito Village, what could possibly go wrong?

In the weeks following the champion's ceremony, Zelda found herself much better rested, often reflecting on how grateful she was to Suvi for finding not only the soothing safflina and dried wildberry tea, but for suggesting the unique incense that the thoughtful maid now burned in the princess's chambers each evening when she came to turn down the sheets. 

Of course, the princess still had much on her mind with the prophecy of calamity looming on the horizon along with her still slumbering power, but she could at least sleep soundly, and for that, she was glad.

In spite of her improved sleep habits, she still felt an overwhelming frustration with her appointed knight. The Hero continued to follow her everywhere, in the castle and out. No matter how many times she told him his presence was not required, he still followed, silent as the grave. She had tried to give him the slip on more than occasion, but each time he managed to locate her with infuriating speed. She'd snuck out past her night guard once or twice, but apparently they were under orders to let _him_ know and he would inevitably find her—in the library, in the garden, on the docks. It didn't matter where she went, he somehow knew how to find her.

It was unnerving and infuriating and exhausting. Once or twice, Zelda briefly entertained the idea of trying to reason with him, to explain to him that she needed her space. Surely he was a decent person who would understand. But each time she quickly reminded herself that he clearly despised her and that's why he was so solemn and silent around her. She had no desire to speak with anyone who despised her so.

The days passed by quickly and she spent most of her time ignoring him while she either prayed fruitlessly to an uncaring statue or while she buried herself into her studies of the ancient relics in hopes that the technology would prove to be their salvation in the coming battle against Calamity Ganon, should it ever dare to appear. 

Zelda decided the time had come to visit each Divine Beast personally and put her research findings to use. Her first destination would be Rito Village, and the Hero would accompany her, much to her chagrin. In spite of this, she had managed to find a silver lining to his constant presence. With the Hero as her bodyguard, travel was much simpler. She did not require an entire squad of royal guards to accompany her. Her father trusted the Hero entirely, so she would be allowed to travel in relative peace and anonymity, for once.

The sun had barely risen over the Lanayru Mountains when the pair departed the castle and turned their mounts towards the Great Ridge and the Tabantha Frontier beyond. Thankfully, the roads were quiet as the monsters had been driven back to the wilds for the time being. 

The two horses clopped along, the princess on her pure white stallion in the lead while the Hero and his gentle chestnut mare remained a respectful few paces behind. Grasshoppers and sleepy yellow bumble bees buzzed among the wild grasses and flowers as they emerged from their slumber in the early morning's light. Red-tailed wrens warbled their greeting to the day from the tree branches above as the occasional robin swooped down to the long grasses, scooping up a tasty morsel in its beak.

Zelda had always enjoyed traveling by horseback, preferring the freedom of a saddle over the royal carriage any day. That is, until recently. The sweet blue roan mare who had been a companion to the princess for almost a decade had been retired, now living in a pasture out in Sanidin Park. It had been a sad day for Zelda, but she was happy her beloved companion could rest and live out her days in such a lovely place.

The king had gifted his daughter a new horse for her sixteenth birthday and upon first sight, Zelda had been quite pleased, ecstatic even. Who wouldn't love a pure white stallion that had clearly been bred from the royal equine pedigree? 

She'd immediately christened the stallion "Snowflake", fawning over his immaculate coat and long, braidable tail. It didn't take long, however, for her to determine that "Tempest" would have been a more fitting name. The horse was skittish beneath her hand, stubborn and unpredictable and didn't take well to her guidance. Seeing as he had been a gift, she didn't want to complain, instead choosing to quietly do her best to try and get along with the young horse.

The journey had begun quietly enough—Zelda thought perhaps it was because Snowflake had been not quite awake when they'd departed. A few hours later, however, Snowflake had begun prancing and whinnying in complaint, shaking his head against the bridle. 

The princess was by no means a novice rider, having been schooled in horsemanship since she could walk, but there was something about Snowflake that both intimidated her and frustrated her. She _wanted_ to be friends, to develop a close bond with her mount, but he refused. The more he refused, the more frustrated she became. Some part of her realized it was a vicious cycle that she would have to be the one to break, but at this point in time she wasn't quite ready to fully acknowledge that fact.

They had been on the road for many hours, the princess having slipped a well wrapped sandwich from her saddlebag to ease her rumbling stomach when a fox leapt from a clump of tall grass, darting across the road. With a shrill squeal, Snowflake dug his hooves into the ground, quickly backing away in a fright. 

"Oh blast!" Zelda muttered, giving the reins a small tug to try and reign in the prancing stallion. "Snowflake! Please do try to behave!"

Snowflake snorted and nickered, going against the bit and right off the road, his rear end turning him in place. 

"Do you really think we have time for this?" Zelda huffed impatiently. "Where is it that you want to go then, you silly horse?" She flushed pink as the stallion spun her around and she caught a glimpse of the Hero watching her, his eyebrows furrowed deeper than usual. Ugh. How embarrassing. Why must Snowflake act up now, of all times?

"Snowflake! Please!" She begged, digging her heels into his side in an attempt to encourage the horse to move forward. "Come, we just have a bit further to go and we'll be able to stop at the stable for a nice warm meal and a rest. Snowflake!" 

Zelda gasped, clinging to the saddle with all of her strength as the stallion reared up on his hind legs, whinnying his displeasure. He was going to bolt, she was sure of it. What could she do?!

Just as quickly as it had started, it was over. A murmur sounded from somewhere Zelda couldn't see from her perch on top of the massive horse and pair of hands was there ready to gently cradle the stallion's nose when he came down from his rearing. 

"Shhhh..." It was the Hero. Zelda panted, trying to catch her breath after the fright she'd just received. Her eyes were wide as she watched her knight calm her horse. She couldn't hear what he said, but he was talking. To her horse. The irony of him speaking easily to her mount and not to her, was not lost on the princess. What was more, Snowflake seemed to respond to his whispered murmurs and gentle pats, nuzzling up against the Hero of Hyrule's shoulder. The hero chuckled, giving the stallion a final rub on the nose.

A small part of her that she refused to acknowledge was impressed that he'd handled the panicking horse with such expertise. The truth was that Zelda was torn between gratitude for the Hero's help and irritation that yet another thing came easily to him—he somehow managed to immediately bond with her horse when she'd been trying for months to do the same thing —and had clearly failed. 

But, she couldn't be rude. He _had_ saved her and she knew she must express her gratitude. It was the right thing. "Thank you, Hero. For—" she paused, swallowing hard. "For coming to my aid."

The Hero stood where he was, gently stroking Snowflake's nose as he nodded, warmth and the barest hint of a smile gracing his expression. His eyebrows crinkled together, concern washing over his features as he looked between the princess and her mount. 

What Zelda couldn't understand was why wouldn't he just speak his mind? If he was worried, why shouldn't he speak his mind instead of making her guess?

"Please do not worry about me," she said briskly. "Now that this little one is calm, I do believe we shall get along well enough, thanks to you."

He seemed to be satisfied by her declaration as he shrugged, giving Snowflake one last pat before trotting over to swing himself up onto the chestnut mare's back. He gestured forward as she looked back to him, silently telling her he was ready when she was. Well, she assumed that was what he was telling her. She couldn't be sure seeing as he refused to actually speak to her.

Snowflake behaved perfectly for the next few hours as they traveled through the Great Ridge, staying on the road and generally acquiescing to the princess's requests to speed up or slow down. The afternoon light had turned a deep golden by the time they reached the final stretch of road leading to their destination for the night, Tabantha Stable. Snowflake must have known what awaited him there for he did break into a gentle canter, nickering in reply to the horse calls in the distance.

Zelda allowed it, if only because she was as eager to rest as the horse was. Besides, she really didn't feel like engaging in another battle battle of wills with her mount at the moment.

Link smiled to himself watching the enormous white stallion becoming so over eager to reach the stable. Really, the horse was prone to dramatic tendencies, and he wished he could reach over to soothe the young horse. He didn't believe the princess to be in any danger, though his stomach tightened at the memory of watching her mount rise up on its hind legs like that. He was grateful that she was experienced enough of a rider to hold on tight and had not been thrown from the saddle.

Thankfully, they would arrive at the stable shortly and they would all have the chance to rest for the night. 

His own mare, Starlight, who he'd named for the white patch on her forehead, instinctively picked up her pace to keep up with the antsy white stallion in the lead. There was nothing anxious in her canter, she was simply following orders, much like her rider. 

It was still several hours before sunset when they finally reached the stable. From the shelter of the large mushroom shaped rocks surrounding the stable, they could see the Divine Beast Vah Medoh hovering not too far away from their location. Link knew that Rito Village was less than a half a day's ride, but there was no way they could reach the safety of the village before twilight when both monster hordes and bandits were typically most active.

Because of this, it had been decided that the princess would lodge for the night within the relatively safe walls of the stable. Link quickly took care of boarding the horses while securing a room for the princess for the night and putting their names on that night's dinner list.

As he gathered their things to stow away in the princess's room, Link couldn't help but feel thankful for the fact that they were dressed as regular travelers and not in royal regalia. Dressing down meant less attention and less attention meant less chance of the princess becoming a target while they traveled. 

Of course, Link thought that the princess was noticeable no matter what she wore. What with her exceptionally long, golden hair that shimmered in the sun like flax, that particular color marking her as a member of the royal family. Not only that, but, in his opinion, her extraordinary beauty set her apart from most travelers. Add to that her pure white stallion decked out in full royal regalia and they might as well be carrying a banner that announced her status to the world.

Oh well, he thought. It wasn't like he was in any position to do anything about it. All he could do was remain vigilant to protect her—and vigilant he would be.

While her knight was busy getting the details of their stay settled with the innkeeper, Zelda slipped outside, reveling in the momentary solitude as she made her way past the nearby bluff. This was her first trip away from the castle without an entire squad of guards looking over her shoulder every second of the day, and she intended to make the most of it.

She'd spied the shrine atop the low lying cliff and, wanting to get a closer look, hoped there might be a path leading up to it from the other end of the rock formation.

The sun was low enough in the sky by that time that the rocky pathway alongside the deep crevasse of Tanager Canyon was completely in shadow. The soft breeze would have been pleasant in full sun, but in the shade of the bluffs, it brought a coolness that had the princess wishing she'd stuck an anti chill potion in her pocket before sneaking off. Of course, it wasn't enough to sway her from her mission. 

Gradually, the dusty, rock strewn path transitioned to a lovely grassy expanse and the cliffs had become lower, with a promising route just ahead. 

Zelda was feeling quite smug as this had been the longest she'd ever managed to escape her constant watch. She was confident that there was no danger. Her surroundings were at peace and the probability of there being even one monster lying in wait in such a lovely place was incredibly implausible. Of that much, she was certain.

What appeared to be an ancient column of some sort peeked above the edge of the tableland beside her, piquing her interest. Her heart skipped and she grinned as she spotted the cluster of boulders just below it that appeared to be easy enough to climb. Her path to the shrine seemed to be opening up and she would be to examine a piece of ancient history while she was at it. If she was lucky, perhaps she would find a clue as to any nearby ancient relics!

She'd scrambled up and over the lowest boulders, easily making it to the first ledge, the column just above her on the next. Finding a good hand and foothold, Zelda prepared to push herself up and over the ledge, nearly reaching her goal when a hand clamped over her mouth and an arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her forcefully back down to the lower ledge, and holding her tightly. She tried to scream and struggled against her assailant when as an unfamiliar, angry voice hissed in her ear, giving her pause, "Din's breath! Are you _trying_ to get yourself killed, Princess?"

It was the Hero. Zelda's panic shifted immediately to outrage as she struggled to pull away. Much to her shock and dismay, her knight held her more firmly against him with another hissed "Shhhh!" 

She tried to speak through his hand, to demand that he release her at once and that her father _would_ hear about this when a bone rattling roar turned her blood to ice within her veins. Her eyes widened and she froze, cringing back into her knight's chest. 

"Don't move," he breathed in her ear, his voice barely audible as a shiver ran down her spine.

The clip clopping of enormous hooves sounded from what Zelda thought was right above their heads. The beast was right there and had there not been a short lip of earth jutting out, it would have been able to look straight down and discover its victims within easy reach. Thankfully. that was not the case and it simply stomped and snorted a few times before clopping away back to whatever it was doing before the princess had nearly become it's next meal.

To say that Link was livid was an understatement. What a sense of humor the goddess must have to choose _him_ to watch over the most headstrong, stubborn person in Hyrule? She was going to get both of them killed if she kept sneaking away like this. 

He'd just finished securing her belongings when he noticed the princess wandering away from the stable and decided to give her some space by quickly scaling the cliff and following her from above. His hope that she was simply taking a quiet walk and would soon return to the stable without incident was quickly dashed when they rounded the bend. His heart leapt into his throat the second he spotted the silver lynel atop the bluff. Not wishing to draw the creature's attention by shouting, he climbed back down the cliff and ran after her, cursing under his breath when he saw her climbing directly towards the savage beast. 

In light of the imminent danger, all propriety was completely disregarded as he did what he must to save her life. As soon as the beast walked away, he huffed a sigh of relief, releasing the princess and stepping away from her.

It took every ounce of self discipline that he possessed to smooth his expression back into his usual stoic mask as she whirled around on him, the fear in her expression evident. Everything and everyone was dependent on him being strong and the kingdom couldn't afford for him to allow his own fear to to show through. And it certainly wasn't his place to lecture her about making foolish choices. She was a princess and he was just her knight. He had to be strong. He just _had_ to.

The princess's mind was racing as she processed nearly coming face to face with such a monstrous beast. Zelda just stared at the Hero, wide eyed a moment as she caught her breath. She knew she needed to be silent lest the beast return. Her fear shifted to disbelief that he appeared to stoic and calm. The tone of his voice a moment before had certainly told a very different story. 

And that alone gave her pause. He'd finally spoken to her. It had been over a month since he'd become her personal guard and the first words he'd deigned to utter in her presence were an admonishment. Fear and disbelief shifted back to anger as her hands clenched at her side and she glared. 

A small part of her knew she should thank him for stopping her before it was too late. The truth was, he'd been following her, which meant she probably hadn't been as alone as she'd thought. That, along with the fact that he'd reprimanded her—not to mention the way it had felt when he'd held her against him as he shielded her body from attack—her cheeks reddened. She refused to even acknowledge any of _that_. 

A muscle in her jaw tightened and her lips pursed as if she'd tasted something unpleasant before she finally ground out a muttered, "Thank you." Before turning on her heel and stomping away, knowing he would be just three paces behind her as they hurried back to the stable in the quickly dimming evening light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I recently stumbled across a silver lynel on the top of this bluff behind the tabantha stable. It seriously freaked me out enough that I decided to use it in this chapter, LOL! :D


	13. Pride of the Rito

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Zelda is busy working on calibrating Vah Medoh high above Rito Village, Link endures taunting from the Rito champion before moving on to make a few new and unlikely friends.

Between her frustration with her silent knight and another night of fitful rest, Zelda was in a foul mood by the time they left the Tabantha Stable the next morning, setting out on the last leg of their journey to Rito Village. 

Before leaving the stable, the princess changed into her winter layers, the fur lined gloves and boots quickly becoming a welcome addition in the chill morning air. The soft, white brushed leather coat was perfectly cut for riding, stopping just above her waist in the front and hanging to her knees in the back. Gold embroidered accents shimmered at every hem with a soft fluffy muff around her neck and wrists.

Though she herself was quite comfortable, Zelda vaguely wondered about the Hero. He still wore his blue champion's tunic and tan trousers. Surely he must be cold? If he was, he said nothing about it. Though, in spite of this silence, she could feel his eyes boring into her back all throughout their ride across the Tabantha Frontier. Just knowing he was watching her set her teeth on edge, and by midday her irritation had piqued yet again. 

Rito Village had a certain rustic charm and moved at a slower pace in comparison to the bustling, pretentious energy within her own home. Just looking at the stone pillar towering in the sky over the surrounding area, wooden platforms spiraling up the sides in a rather treehouse-like manner was enough to distract her from her frustrations. The village was situated at the base of the Hebra mountain range, high enough in elevation that the air had a crisp, clean quality brimming with renewed energy. It was a lovely place, truly.

Upon reaching the stable near the village, they boarded their horses and crossed over the canyon to the village on foot. Directing her gaze upwards to the crystalline blue sky, Zelda noticed a squad of the avian warriors swooping overhead, inspecting the newcomers with Vah Medoh hovering just beyond. The Rito were fiercely protective of their home, the princess understood this, but she quietly wondered if her overprotective knight had noticed. Unfortunately, she would not find out as she had no desire to speak to him, or even look at him if she could help it—not that this was anything new. Not really. 

Deep down, she felt guilty for how she'd treated her knight after he'd saved her the day before—not once, but twice. First, from her own silly horse, and again when she'd nearly walked blindly into a lynel's territory. And yet, at the same time, she was plagued with her usual frustration. Not only that, but she was embarrassed that she'd put herself in such danger and that _he_ had even needed to save her from her own foolishness.

These feelings and more had her so on edge and so confused, that she could only muster a brisk, "Thank you," as she accepted the warmth potion he silently offered and hurried onward without so much as another glance.

Zelda forced herself to shake off her irritation and nerves, opting instead for her trained diplomat's smile as she approached the Rito Chief waiting for her at the entrance to the village.

"Ah! Princess Zelda," he spoke graciously, wings open wide. "We've been expecting you. Welcome to our home, we are honored to have you as our guest."

"The honor is all mine, Chief Talkan," she said with a polite nod of her head. "Thank you for welcoming me into your home. I do hope that my brief visit will not be too much of a burden."

The Rito chief assured her that it was no trouble at all and gestured for her to follow as she fell into step beside him, sensing her knight falling back with the other Rito warriors as they all headed into the village and up the winding stairway.

"It is no trouble at all, your highness," Talkan replied graciously, "And I know Champion Revali will appreciate your assistance in sorting out that beast. As you can see, he and the Sheikah researchers have managed to get Vah Medoh airborne and Champion Revali insists that his bond with the ancient machine is perhaps the strongest of all of the champions, but I think you will find that there is still a lot to be done."

"Indeed," Zela murmured, curious as to what could make the Rito Champion believe that his bond was any different than the others. She was starting to get the sense that, while he was indeed quite talented, Revali was not much for team efforts. "Rest assured, Chief Talkan, Director Purah and I have been studying the ancient texts relentlessly, and I do believe that with just a few simple calibrations and adjustments we will be able to ensure that Vah Medoh and Champion Revali are working together as seamlessly as possible."

Chief Talkan seemed satisfied by her reassurance and they continued their trek up the stairs and through the village. He pointed out where the princess and her appointed knight would be sleeping for the night, and the dining area where they would take their meals. Finally they reached a large, open deck just beside what appeared to be a derelict shrine and almost directly below where Divine Beast Vah Medoh was hovering in its never ending quest to protect the village. 

As the chief bid her farewell, stating that Champion Revali would meet them momentarily, Zelda gazed up at the beast, shading her eyes against the early afternoon sun. Seeing the beast functioning properly brought no small amount of hope and happiness to her heart. Hope was a powerful thing and this ancient machine gave her enormous hope that they just might be able to succeed against the coming blight.

Just then, Zelda startled as Vah Medoh let out a shrill scream, whirling around at the metallic sound of a sword being unsheathed. The Hero had apparently been startled as well and looked ready to jump into battle. He'd moved closer to her, crouched in a defensive stance, his eyes darting around in search of trouble. 

Zelda huffed impatiently, crossing her arms. "You can put that away. It was just Vah Medoh, see?" She pointed upwards, noticing a black speck leaping from the deck of the bird-like machine. "It apparently announces whenever its champion arrives and again when they leave."

Blinking a few times, the Hero slowly relaxed his stance, resheathing the sword, his sharp blue eyes narrowing as he watched the speck grow larger, clearly making its approach towards where they were standing.

Zelda turned back to watch and could see now that it was Revali, wings outstretched and diving gracefully through the air. He even made a few loop de loops in the sky before coming to land directly in front of them on the deck, wings spread with a flourish.

"Greetings, Your Highness," the Rito champion spoke with a magnanimous bow. "I am glad _you_ are here, as we have a lot to do." 

Zelda didn't miss the emphasis on the word "you", understanding that he was wordlessly implying that the Hero's presence was not nearly as welcome. Interesting. Though quite relatable, even if over a decade of training in manners and royal etiquette kept her from acknowledging or encouraging the slight on her knight, even if she was tempted to tell Revali that she quite agreed with the sentiment.

Instead she replied graciously, "Indeed, Champion Revali. I believe I've uncovered a few ancient texts that will help us to immensely strengthen your bond with Vah Medoh. Though—" her eyes flicked upwards and she grimaced. "Is it possible to land the beast? Perhaps on a nearby cliff? I must access the main control panel."

Revali scoffed. "Like me, Vah Medoh is much happier high in the skies with the wind beneath her. However," he gave the princess an appraising glance, his beady green eyes flicking to the knight a few paces behind her as a smirk crept across his beak. "I don't make it a habit of carrying Hylians around on my back like some flying pack mule, but seeing as this is important, I shall make an exception for you, Princess."

The smirk became a bit smug as the Hero's eyes narrowed further. Revali turned around and gestured to his back. "Now, come, before I change my mind. Besides, you deserve a break from such incessantly prying eyes, wouldn't you agree?" He raised a challenging eyebrow as he glanced back at her from over his shoulder.

Zelda pressed her lips together, trying to avoid appearing too eager at the realization that she was, indeed, about to enjoy a few hours of freedom apart from _him_. And there was nothing he could do about it—especially as he continued to refuse to speak.

"You are correct, Revali. We do, indeed, have much to do." 

As she climbed onto the Rito champion's back, a small voice in the back of her mind that sounded a lot like her father complained that it was unbefitting a princess to climb on one's back in such an undignified manner, but she told the voice to hush. Her precious ancient relics awaited and she wasn't going to allow propriety or her overly protective knight to get in her way. 

Without another word, the Rito was off, soaring up into the sky with ease, in spite of the added weight on his back. A gust of wind came seemingly out of nowhere, swirling around them and roaring in the princess's ears. Zelda held on tight, feeling equal parts exhilarated and terrified with the knowledge that if she lost her grip, she would plummet to her doom and not even her knight would be able to save her. She reasoned she simply would not look down until her feet were firmly planted upon the surface of Vah Medoh.

"You're welcome, by the way," Revali drawled, as they made their way closer to the enormous flying machine.

Zelda startled, blinking in surprise. "I'm sorry, what?" 

"For rescuing you from that pathetic knight who follows you around like some sad excuse for a watchdog, of course."

Swallowing, Zelda pursed her lips together. She didn't disagree, not completely. Though it did sound a bit cruel to hear it said out loud like that. She wondered if her thoughts were really that ugly? The idea sent an unwelcome tendril of guilt spiraling in the pit of her stomach. 

Shaking off the guilt, she replied quietly, "Thank you, Revali. I appreciate that you were willing to bring me up to Vah Medoh. I understand that it is an inconvenience and I want you know that I truly appreciate it." 

Loathe him though she did, she couldn't bring herself to be so rude about her knight behind his back.

"Hmmph. Don't mention it, Your Highness."

Just a moment later, they arrived atop the Divine Beast. Thanking Revali and assuring him that she wouldn't be too long, Zelda immediately pulled her Sheikah slate out and went over to the main control unit.

If what Purah had showed her was correct, she should be able to access the calibrations menu with the help of the programming within her slate. She hoped to be able to make the adjustments and test a few of the functions out with Revali when she was finished. 

Shoving any residual guilt or frustration or just thoughts of _him_ out of her mind, Zelda allowed herself to find that calm focus she knew so well that came about whenever she worked on her ancient relics. She would need that focus if she hoped to make any progress, and without another word, she set to work. 

\---

Link's heart leapt into his throat as the Rito champion whisked the princess away, and he stared anxiously at her retreating form as the pair become but a small blip in the sky above. In spite of the mild panic, his jaw clenched as a flicker of irritation rushed over him. 

He knew that the Rito champion was more than capable of protecting the princess—though the Rito did seem self absorbed enough that Link did not fully trust him to choose the princess above his own well-being. Thankfully, the chance of anything getting past the divine beast's defenses was slim, bordering on non existent. It was the princess's new found habit of sneaking off whenever the opportunity presented itself that was getting old. He couldn't understand why she disliked him so, or why she was so determined to make his job more difficult than it already was by putting herself in danger. 

And then there was the Rito champion. Link had never met anyone so arrogant in his life. Well, Camin could be pretty full of himself at times, but everyone knew he was full of it and just laughed it off. Revali, however, was in a league all on his own, and apparently shared a similar opinion as the princess regarding Link.

Link had not missed the smug grin just before the Rito had offered to take the princess up to the ancient machine. He'd known Link would disapprove, that much was obvious, and had wanted to rub it in how powerless Link was to stop the princess from doing exactly what she pleased.

If only there were some way he could get up to Vah Medoh on his own—but in spite of wielding the Master Sword's power, he could not fly. 

Link gazed up at the beast circling the sky above, sighing as he resigned himself to wait when a sudden gust of wind rose up, surprising him. He'd just taken a step back when Revali shot up from below, spinning like a corkscrew. Link watched, an eyebrow raised as the Rito landed gracefully on the deck rail. 

"Impressive, I know," Revali drawled, crossing his wings across his chest. "Very few can achieve a mastery of the sky, yet I have made an art of creating an updraft that allows me to soar." He smirked, tilting his chin just enough that his beak stuck up in the air and he gestured grandly with his wings. "It’s considered to be quite the masterpiece of aerial techniques, even among the Rito. With proper utilization of my superior skills, I see no reason why we couldn’t easily dispense with Ganon." 

Link's eyebrow rose a bit higher at this as he wondered why in Hylia's name Revali had left the princess all alone up there, coming all the way back down just to brag about himself? As if Link would care about any of this. If the idiot wanted to take on Ganon with his "superior skills", he was welcome to try.

Revali continued with a sniff, "Now then, my ability to explore the firmament is certainly of note—" Revali hopped down from the rail, clasping his wings behind his back as he strode forward, pausing just past Link and turning around, tapping his beak with a finger. "But let’s not—pardon me for being so blunt—let’s not forget that I am the most skilled archer of all the Rito. Yet despite these truths, it seems that I have been tasked to merely _assist_ you. All because you happen to have that little darkness- sealing sword on your back."

He continued to pace circles around the Hylian knight. Link simply watched, silent as ever, though his stoic mask slipped ever so slightly as his other eyebrow shot up to match the other. There it was. The reason for all of the fuss. Revali was—jealous? Of Link? Of the sword?

It was laughable, really. Did this great feather brain actually think Link _wanted_ to be the chosen one? Did he have any idea what it was like to have constant nightmares and visions reminding him of what was at stake if he failed? No. Of course he didn't. How could he? All the Rito champion was after was the glory. Though, to be fair, Link thought protecting his homeland was probably a pretty close second when it came to motivation. But it was the threat to his reputation as being the best that ruffled his feathers so.

Revali paused dramatically, whipping around to face Link before adding, "I mean, it’s just…asinine. Unless—" He raised an eyebrow, stepping closer until he was practically in Link's face. Link stood his ground, however, and didn't budge a bit, glaring up at him. "Unless…you think you can prove me wrong? Maybe we should just settle this one on one? But where? Oh—I know!" His voice turned patronizing as he tapped his chin. "How about up there?" He gestured grandly towards Vah Medoh.

"Oh, you must pardon me," he added in a tone that told Link he was not sorry at all, "I forgot you have no way of making it up to that Divine Beast on your own!"

Yes. The Rito champion was most definitely mocking the Hylian knight. His tone oozed with disdain and mockery. Revali turned his back, spreading his wings as he summoned a gust of wind to launch him high in the sky as he called down, "Good luck sealing the darkness!" And he darted off, disappearing within the divine beast once more. 

_Ugh. What an ass,_ Link thought, shaking his head. He had no idea what the Rito had been getting at in the end. Settle it one on one? Like what? A tournament? A fight? A shooting contest? To what end? What would the purpose be? The thing was, Link had no problem with the idea that this champion was a superior archer. Link was a fine archer, probably one of the top rated in the guard next to Brin, but that didn't mean that he felt threatened by new talent. Especially when that new talent was pledged to help the princess defeat the calamity. That was all that mattered. 

The truth was, that no matter who had the superior skills, it was Link who possessed the sword that could seal the darkness. And it was Link who would have to make that final blow, at any cost. He had no choice. Link crossed his arms, brooding over the odd confrontation as he glowered up at the ancient machine. 

A chorus of giggles from behind caught his attention. Turning around, all of the previous irritation and worry slipped to the back of his mind as he spotted a group of Rito fledglings, of all different colors gathered behind him. He smiled—they were so young! 

"Are you the Hero of Hyrule? My mama said you were." A small red and white feathered Rito chick had stepped forward, blinking up at him with wide eyes full of wonder. The little Rito girl seemed to be the leader of the flock as the others stayed back, whispering to each other, though they watched Link carefully. 

Link sighed, his smile shifting to a subtle sadness as he sat down, criss cross legged on the deck so he could see the child speaking to him. Shrugging, he murmured, "There are some who call me that, sure." 

He blinked, surprised by how much he'd spoken, but these were children and he had a soft spot for kids. There was no way he could ignore them.

"Wow! Did you guys hear that? He's the Hero of Hyrule!" the fledgling chirped excitedly, flapping her wings and bouncing up and down as she turned towards her friends. "Amazing!" 

The others joined in her excited twittering, moving forward as a group to get a closer look at the hero among them.

"Whoa!" Link laughed, holding up his hands. "I said there were some who called me that. I didn't say that I agree with them."

The little red chick looked up at him, cocking her head to one side. "Why not?"

Huffing a breath through his nose, Link thought a moment, resting his elbows on his knees. "Well, don't you think a hero ought to do something before people call him a hero?"

The little girl was quiet a moment, thoughtful as she considered his question. "But—my mama said you are going to do something really important. Isn't that true?"

Eyebrows furrowed, Link pursed his lips. "Well, yeah. It is."

"Then you're a hero," she said simply, with a grin and a little shrug of her own. 

Link raised an eyebrow. "But what if I fail and don't do what I'm supposed to do?"

"My mama says that there's no such thing as failing if you keep trying."

"Huh." This gave Link pause. Of course this wasn't completely true of his situation because if Hyrule burned on his watch, that would be a failure no matter how much he wanted to keep trying, however—maybe this tiny Rito girl was on to something. "Your mama is pretty smart." He grinned.

"Oh, I know. She's the smartest lady in the whole world!"

Link laughed, a pang of a bittersweet memory hitting him as he remembered thinking similarly of his own mother—when she was still alive. 

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Tildy," the little girl replied. "And these are my friends, "Jojo, Mabel, and Cicilee." She gestured to the group of Rito girls behind her before pausing and smiling shyly as she added, "So—we were wondering, Mr. Hero—well, you looked a little sad and we thought you might need to have a little fun so we wondered—do you want to play hide and seek with us?" 

Link blinked, surprised by the question, though he wasn't sure why. The whole conversation had been a bit of a surprise. He took in the four little girls' hopeful expressions and glanced up at Vah Medoh, still hovering in the sky. It wasn't like he could watch the princess closely anyways and he could see Vah Medoh from pretty much anywhere in the village so— "Sure," he grinned. "I'll count first—but no cheating! You have to hide in the common areas, ok?"

The girls cheered, squealing and running off as Link made a show of covering his eyes and beginning to count slowly to ten.

If he was going to be stuck down in the village, he figured he might as well bring a little joy to these children. Not only that, but their laughter was contagious and a medicine for his soul. He thought that they were right—he could use a bit of joy himself.

\---

Zelda smiled with satisfaction as Revali tested the finely calibrated functions with great success. It seemed that her calculations had been correct and the Rito champion would have no trouble piloting his divine beast moving forward. Truly it was a relief to have things go according to plan, for once. 

The late afternoon sun had just begun to dip behind the Hebra when her feet were finally back on solid ground as Revali delivered her to the landing they'd left from. Citing some reason or another that he needed to be elsewhere, he departed in the same dramatic fashion he'd arrived, leaving the princess alone. Not that she minded. It was refreshing to have someone around who didn't feel the need to watch over her every move. 

In spite of this, she couldn't help but wonder where her knight had gone off to. Honestly, she'd expected him to be in the same place she'd left him, watching anxiously for her return. But he wasn't there—in fact, there was no sign of him anywhere nearby. How very odd.

Zelda wasn't terribly concerned and had just decided to go and find a bite to eat before retiring for the evening, certain he would find her sooner or later. He always did.

It had been a long few days of traveling and they had a long trip ahead of them as they would set out for the Temple or Time the next day, an early night would be most welcome. She was most looking forward to curling up in the unique Rito down bed that was a specialty of the village. The chief had told her of it during his tour earlier that day and it sounded nothing short of positively incredible.

As she made her way down the winding boardwalk, a chorus of chirping giggles and an unfamiliar male laugh caught her attention. She paused, glancing around for the source and was surprised to see _him_ seated criss cross legged on a deck just past the derelict shrine and surrounded by Rito children. 

His back was to her as she crept closer, curious. A small red feathered Rito girl had just run over to him with a bag, having dumped the contents onto the planks in front of him, revealing a pile of assorted flowers and berries. One of the children sat perched on his shoulders while two others stood close by, bouncing around excitedly as he held up a single flower and said something too quiet for the princess to decipher. 

He was—talking? To these children? This was surely a puzzle, to be sure. Though rather than the usual irritation she felt at his selective mutism against her, an odd warmth sparked in her chest at the sight. Even though she was certain that his silence towards her was indicative of his disgust at her failure, the scene before her was too pure and too sweet to be angry over.

Especially when he nodded his head at something one of the little Rito girls had said, murmuring in response as they all squealed before collectively coming together to tackle him in a group hug, knocking him flat on his back, his own laughter ringing in chorus with the children's.

This was just too much. Zelda pressed her lips together to keep from laughing out loud as she approached, clearing her throat as she stood just behind his head, looking down. She could see the exact moment he realized he was not the only Hylian on the platform. His twinkling blue eyes immediately widened, a flash of panic taking over the humor as he sobered. He sat up, being careful not to knock over the fledglings surrounding him.

The Rito chicks followed his gaze, looking up and seeing the princess standing there. The red feathered little girl came forward with a bright smile—Zelda could see that she was clearly the leader of their little group and smiled warmly in reply.

"Are you Princess Zelda?" the little girl spoke quietly, her eyes wide.

"I am," Zelda replied with a warm smile. "And what might your name be, little one?"

"I'm Tildy," the little Rito girl replied proudly. "And this is Jojo, Mabel, and Cicilee. Sir Link was just playing with us and telling us stories about the flowers. He's super nice, you know." She flapped her little wings and fluttered up, forcing Zelda to catch her in her arms with a small cry of surprise and delight. 

Clearly the child had very little fear of strangers, and certainly was not starstruck by the presence of royalty, which endeared the little one all the more to the Hylian princess.

Blinking, Zelda glanced past the little girl to where her appointed knight had gotten to his feet, his face flushed red with embarrassment as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yes—" she said slowly, her own cheeks going pink. "I have heard such things." She was quiet a moment before realizing that all of the children _and_ her knight were watching her. Clearing her throat, she changed the subject. "It seems that the hour is getting quite late. Would you children be willing to show us where we might be able to take our evening meal?"

The children chattered enthusiastically and Tildy leapt from the princess's arms, taking her by the hand and tugging her along. "Absi-posi-lutely princess!" she chirped in a sing-song voice. "Just follow me, I'll show you the way!"

Zelda laughed and followed, noticing the other little girls pulling the Hero along behind her. 

The little ones were marvelous hosts and kept the Hylians company all throughout their evening meal and then showed them to their sleeping quarters when Zelda had yawned and mentioned she was ready to rest for the evening. Tildy even brought her some hot water for her evening tea. She was also pleased to see that a pair of Rito warriors had convinced the Hero to rest for the night, assuring him that they had been assigned to watch over the princess while he slept. 

Finally, Zelda was able to settle into the extra soft Rito down bed, harried thoughts of the work she still had in the days ahead giving way to the pleasant warmth and drowsiness ushered in by the tea she'd just finished. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to drift away into a blessedly dreamless sleep and did not wake once the entire night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to various side quests in BOTW, I have this headcanon that Link is super soft and sweet around kids and just had to include that in this chapter :)

**Author's Note:**

> PS kudos and comments give me life ❤️❤️❤️


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